Persona 6 Mind Net
by War292004
Summary: When half a dozen bodies appear in the United States, slung over television antennas and satellite dishes, the BAU is at a loss... until Garcia discovers a similar string of murders in the quiet Japanese town of Inaba. (COMPLETED on 9/18/2014).
1. Chapter 1: Beginning

**Author's Note**: Holy crap, he's writing something that isn't at least partially Harry Potter related? It's true! Anyway, time for another fanfiction to break up the monotony of other writings I've been working on! This is a non-profit fan work and… I don't actually know the legal things, but I feel like I should put something here about not owning it, though I think that's obvious because otherwise this would be a television show.

**Persona 6: Mind + Net**

_All we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become. – Buddha_

"Another one?" asked J.J. as Hotch hung up the phone, his stoic face hardened.

"Yes," he replied, writing a note down. "Strauss wants us to respond but…"

"I know…" said J.J. "Where would she want us to respond?"

"We might have to split the team up," said Hotch. "Is everyone assembled?"

"Yes, and I called in Garcia too," said J.J., standing and picking up a stack of case folders.

"Good. We're really going to need her help with this," said Hotch.

He and J.J. walked across the BAU offices in silence, heading for the conference room. Inside, he could hear the laughter of Prentiss, Morgan, and Garcia. He sighed, knowing it would probably be a long time before they'd hear that laughter again.

"Good morning everyone," he said. "We've got a long day ahead of us, so let's get to work. Garcia, if you would?"  
>"Oh! Right, yes, sir, right away," said Garcia, fumbling for the remote with her long, jewel-encrusted nails. "All of the latest data we have on the three victims-."<p>

"Four," Hotch interrupted her.

"F-four? You mean…" Garcia said, whirling around.

"He struck again," said Rossi, reclining in his chair. "Our UnSub is on the move."

"Garcia, the program, please?" asked Hotch.

"Okay, so, not counting the one Hotch just got a call from, we have our first three victims," said J.J., as her screen came up. "Halle Arnold, 24, of Clovis, California. George Randall, 28, of Dover's Beach, Michigan, and Ron James, 19, of Meridian, Mississippi."

"You can add Garth Harold, 31, from Wynona, Wisconsin," said Hotch.

"What the…" Prentiss gasped, staring at the photos.

"Are they hanging from… television antenna?" asked Morgan, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"They were found posed like this on early mornings. The police have just made the connection because the press is starting to get ahold of it," said J.J. "They're starting to call it the Rooftop Murderer."

"What was cause of death?" asked Rossi.

"Inconclusive," said J.J. "Though we're still waiting for autopsy reports on Randall and James… and now Harold."

"How the… this doesn't even make sense. The UnSub would have had to kill them, get them onto the roof, and then pose them exactly like that… with nobody noticing," said Morgan.

"Right. Which isn't hard to do in those towns, especially at night. They're small, probably have poor lighting…" said Prentiss.

"But the geographical location is staggering," said Reid. "How is the UnSub able to travel this distance?"

"And what's really weird, that I found out," said Garcia, suddenly. "Halle Arnold and Ron James were both killed on the same night."

There was silence as everyone began to mull over the details they had. Without a cause of death, at the moment anyway, they had to try and figure out how the UnSub could get the bodies up that high.

"Well we're obviously dealing with at least a well-built man, or maybe a team," said Morgan. "There's no way that you could get those two guys up on the roof easily, much less sprawled over a television antenna…"

"And how do you expect they managed to travel thousands of miles in one night?" asked Prentiss.

"Perhaps they work in the travel industry. Airline pilot or maybe a flight attendant?" suggested J.J.

"Even if that was true, it doesn't explain the lack of apparent death," said Reid, as he sped through the files in his hands. "They found no real injuries on Halle Arnold, except that she seemed to be dehydrated, but not to any level that would put you near death…"

"Poisons? Did we get toxicology reports yet?" asked Prentiss, scanning through with her tablet.

"Nothing to speak of… but some of the tests are running behind in that county," said Reid, flipping the pages faster than the computer could compute.

"So, then, Aaron, what do you suppose we should do?" asked Rossi.

"Strauss is already starting to breathe down our necks on this because it's so high profile and the media has started to cause hysteria," said Hotch. "Ideally I'd like to speak to all the families, but that's going to be extremely difficult given the massive geographical location…"

"Might I suggest, then," said Rossi, sliding forward. "Based on our most recent death, we start focusing on the north central part of the country? Dover's Beach and Wynona aren't more than four hours apart."

"That's probably our best bet, in the end," said Hotch. "J.J., contact the police departments in both cities. We'll decide who goes where while on the plane. Garcia, in the meantime, I want full background reports run on all of these people. I know it's a long shot, but there must be something that ties all of these people together."

"Right away, sir," said Garcia, grabbing her objects and running out of the room, her heels clicking.

"The rest of you, wheels up in 90 minutes. I'll see you on the plane," said Hotch.

**Airspace Above Virginia**

Two hours later, as they were soaring to their destination, the members of the BAU began to go over their victimology, trying to find something that connected the four bodies.

"So we can already rule out race and sex," said Prentiss. "Halle Arnold and Ron James were both Caucasian, George Randall was half African American, half white, and Garth Harold was a mix of Native American and Mexican."

"Jobs don't really match up, either," said Reid. "We've got a model, a student, a garbage man, and an unemployed person who received welfare and food stamps. Garcia's running criminal records, but, so far anyway, the worst are a few speeding tickets and an unpaid parking ticket."

"Could it be age? It's a stretch, but, so far, the victims have been within 13 years of each other," said Morgan.

"It's literally the only thing we have to tie them together, and that doesn't narrow it down at all," said J. J., "And it's not like they were in the same risk category. Introvert, extrovert, successful, quiet… it's all over the place."

"And we won't really know more until Garcia can get us full background reports," said Hotch, frowning. "Morgan, get her on the camera; I want to know what the hold-up is."  
>Just as Morgan reached for the television monitor, it sprang to life and they saw Garcia, who was in a blind panic, looking at one of her other many screens.<p>

"I know, ma'am, and I understand, but they're probably in flight at the moment, and I imagine that's why he isn't answering his cell! Yes, I was just going to contact them after I finished the original background reports and… yes, yes, I will ma'am, please, just give me a second!"

"Hey there pumpkin, who you chatting with while you're supposed to be on the job," asked Morgan, with a grin.

"Oh!" said Garcia, muting her phone. "Praise all that is holy and shiny; I don't know how Strauss found my direct number, but I'll never forgive the person who gave it to her."

"Do you have our background reports, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Well, sir, the thing is…" Garcia said. "I… have the originals… but…"

"But?" asked Rossi, leaning forward in his seat.

"Here, I'll let _her_ tell, you," said Garcia, unmuting her phone. "Hello? Hello! Ma'am! Ma'am, please calm down, I have them here… yes… ma'am I… okay, I'm putting you on speaker in three… two…"

She pressed the button on her phone, grimacing, and Strauss's snarls immediately filled Garcia's office. Everyone on the plane cringed as she ranted at Garcia for a few seconds about being put on hold and proper telephone etiquette before Hotch interrupted her tirade.

"Aaron, just where the hell are you?" she demanded, earning raised eyebrows from everyone but Hotch.

"As my report showed, we're on our way to Dover's Beach and Wynona," said Hotch.

"Well, you might as well turn that plane around and get back to Quantico this instant," snarled Strauss. "We've got three more victims."

**Back in Quantico**

"Andrea Boyle, 20, of Frederick, Arkansas," said a very subdued Garcia, as everyone hurried back into the conference room. "Harry Barnett, 18, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. LaRoy Weiss, 35, of Bull's Head, Montana. Same thing. Slung over either a TV antenna or satellite dish."

"The media are having a field day with this, aren't they?" asked J.J., dropping her bag in the chair next to her as she sat down.

"Harry Barnett was found upside down in a really populated section of the city… they got him down before too many people caught on, but…" Garcia said, sighing.

"And now the panic spreads. How the hell did the UnSub manage to do that in the middle of the city, in broad daylight?" asked Morgan.

"Garcia, do you have anything for us, anything at all?" asked Hotch, sitting in his seat and massaging his head.

"Um… well… yes, I do sir, but… you're probably not going to believe me," said Garcia.

"Let's hear it," said Prentiss.

"This has happened before," said Garcia.

"… what?" they all asked, their jaws dropping.

"See? Told you," said Garcia. "But… I'm not sure what it has to do with anything… but it just may… um. Well, you see… there's this small town in Japan, right? It's called Inaba, and about two years ago they had a series of murders and kidnappings…"

"With the same M.O.?" asked Prentiss.

"Yes… I've already printed off everything I could find… there were a lot of Japanese articles that I can't really read well, but only a handful of English releases on it, mostly third-rate papers with questionable morals, I might add."

"That's… so is our UnSub an immigrant from Japan?" asked J.J.

"He at least spent some time there, most likely," said Hotch. "There's no way this could be a coincidence."

"But… you see, sir," said Garcia. "That's what I thought, too, but they caught the guy doing it in Inaba. And he's still in prison."

"… a copycat in America, then?" asked Rossi.

"From something so obscure? Who would have known to even look for that?" asked Prentiss.

"And, please, explain to me how the UnSub managed to get all over the country to murder four separate people?" asked Morgan.

"This… this is impossible," said Reid. "No single person could physically do this. It's impossible."

"What about the possibility of a group? A cult? A terror cell?" asked Rossi.

"If there is a group doing this, they'll leave traces of themselves on the internet. Garcia, I need you to find me those traces! We have to…" said Hotch.

"I… I'm on it, sir!" Garcia said, sprinting from her room Then she turned and called behind as she continued. "Though, if I may, Sir, I just wanted to let you know that sprinting was not ever part of my job description, and I think my calves might walk out on me if I keep this stress up…"

"What's our next step?" asked Hotch.

"Run," said Prentiss.

"Why?" asked Hotch.

"Strauss at twelve o clock," said J.J.

They glanced out the window. Indeed, Strauss was storming into the BAU, nearly colliding with Garcia, who practically threw herself on top of another intern to avoid the aggravated woman. Hotch, for the first time that day, finally allowed a grimace of disgust and stress to cross his face, and he left the room to intercept her.

"I can tell you one thing," said Morgan, as they watched them go into Hotch's office. "You couldn't pay me enough to trade places with that man right now."

**Meanwhile**

"This is _inexcusable_, Aaron," snarled Strauss. "We've got _seven_ dead bodies. _Seven_."

"With all due respect, ma'am, I did pass basic math," replied Hotch.

"Well, then, I'm sure you understand that we're already coming under heavy scrutiny? The Department of Homeland Security seems to think it's a terrorist threat, and we're being inundated with calls from the media, politicians, and… do you even have a lead?" she cried.

"… of sorts," said Hotch.

"Well?" demanded Strauss.

"Our technical analyst uncovered a…"

_I am thou… _

"Aaron? What did she uncover, Aaron?" demanded Strauss.

"Did… did you hear something, just now?" asked Hotch.

"Only the sound of incompetence, apparently," spat Strauss. "What did your analyst uncover?"

"A series of murders in Japan that match the M.O. of our UnSub. It's our only lead," said Hotch.

"You've got to be joking. We've got dead people all over the country and you're focused on—"

_And thou art I…_

"—think that Japan has a better—,"

_Your eyes will open…_

"—results by the time—,"  
><em>… and our Truths will be discovered…<em>

"—I might as well have—,"

_Come. We will await you where the Many Gods remain_.

"Are you even _listening _to me, Aaron?" snarled Strauss, slamming her hands on her desk.

"Yes. We're going to Japan," said Hotch, standing up. "We will need a translator, supplied from the Bureau, and we will leave tonight. There are strong storms that have been going on all up and down the coast; we need to get out of here before it goes any worse."

"You… you can't be serious!" shouted Strauss. "We've got dead Americans everywhere and—."  
>"And no leads. Except Inaba, Japan. If it's really a concern of yours, then I will front the airfare, since I know they won't let us take the usual jet out of the country. If this solves the case, I expect I will be repaid. If not, then I will foot the bill," said Hotch, standing up.<p>

"Of all the insolent…" she began, but something seemed to have clicked in her mind, because she stopped talking for a moment, her face blank. Then she looked around the office, grumbled under her breath¸ and looked back at him. "You have seven days. Nine, if you count flight time. If you haven't uncovered anything by next week, I want you back in the United States. Is that understood?"

"Of course, ma'am. I'll be taking Garcia, as well. Kevin Lynch can cover in her absence," said Hotch.

"Don't fail me, Aaron," said Strauss. "I shall send you a translator, it so happens I spoke to a very fitting candidate earlier this afternoon."

"I appreciate that, ma'am," said Hotch, nodding to her.

**Pittsburgh, PA**

That evening, everyone sat in Pittsburgh International Airport, having caught a shuttle flight from Washington. Everyone was still in minor shock about the entire incident. Hotch had flown in, told them to pack for a week overseas, and to prepare to head to Japan. He didn't stay for any protests, and his mind seemed focused on something else, so his team members did what they were told.

"Do you think the information Garcia received is actually going to lead us anywhere?" asked Rossi.

"I see no harm in trying to figure it out," said Reid.

"I don't see why he wanted to take all of us. I'm surprised he didn't have me stay behind to handle the media," said J.J., idly flipping through a magazine. "They'd have a fit if they knew what was happening."

"Where is Hotch, anyway?" asked Prentiss, who was reading a book with her coat covering her like a blanket.

"He went to the business lounge to get the latest information from Quantico before our flight," said Reid, who was still reading through the case files, his brow furrowed. "Anybody seen Morgan or Garcia?"

"No," said Prentiss. "And our translator isn't here yet, either. We've gotta start boarding in ten minutes, too…"

A few seconds later, they heard Morgan and Garcia's laughter. From down the concourse, they saw them coming. Morgan held his own carryon bags, as well as the pastel-colored suitcases Garcia had jammed full of clothes and material for the flight over. Garcia herself was swinging bags of purchased goods from each arm as she and Morgan rode down the moving walkway, blocking the entire thing with their vast array of baggage.

"Garcia… what did you buy?" asked an incredulous Prentiss.

"Oh, just some things for the flight. I haven't flown commercial in ages, but everyone says they don't feed you, give you blankets, pillows… and this is like an 18 hour flight, so… gotta be prepared, right?" said Garcia, giggling as she took a seat next to J.J., who began to dig through her shopping bags.

"Nice bags, Morgan, really accentuates your overflowing levels of testosterone," Reid said, idly flipping through the pages.

"Well, Boy Wonder," said Morgan, rubbing his hand violently through Reid's hair. "When a lady in need is there, Derek Morgan doesn't let his insecurities hold him back; nothing is too degrading for him."

"My glorious Knight in Shining Armor," said Garcia, blowing him a kiss.

"Always there for you, Princess," said Morgan, kneeling and kissing her hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience, and I apologize for the delay," said the woman at the ticket counter. "We are soon going to begin boarding of Ryze International Airlines Flight 1001, non-stop service to Tokyo-Narita. Please ensure that your carryons are properly prepared and that you have the proper amounts…"

"Where is Hotch?" asked Prentiss, sitting up and pulling on her coat.

"There he is," said J.J., pointing. "He's walking with someone."

"I hope it's our translator," said Reid. "He or she's cutting it kinda close…"

"Have they started boarding yet?" asked Hotch as he and the translator walked over.

"No, just about to…" said Morgan. "Whose this guy?"  
>"I. Love. Your. Hair," said Garcia, starring at him. "I'm surprised they let you keep it like that."<p>

"Heh. Believe it or not, this is my natural hair color," said the young man, smiling. "Nice to meet you all."

"This is our translator," explained Hotch. "He's a native of Japan and came to the United States to do some special training with the FBI. These are Agents Morgan, Prentiss, Rossi, Jareau, Dr. Reid, and our technical analyst, Garcia."

"What's your name, son?" asked Derek, shaking his hand as everyone moved to head to the line to board the flight.

"Me? Sanada. Akihiko Sanada," he said grinning. "I hope I can help you catch this guy."


	2. Chapter 2: Journey

**Author's Note: I promise we'll see some action in the near future. I'm finalizing Persona choices, and I'm actually really happy with most of them. A little more set-up and soon we'll be seeing more familiar faces from SMT than just Akihiko…**

Chapter Two: Journey

The members of the BAU and their new translator took their seats in the front section of the plane, first class. They basically filled the entire section, but Hotch made sure to buy the extra seats, just to ensure their privacy. It almost physically hurt him to see that much put on his card, and he began to second guess himself. Was this trip really going to help solve the case? Why exactly did he suddenly have this overpowering desire to go to Japan?

He wasn't the only one wondering that. In the back of their minds, the entire BAU team was wondering what had possessed their leader to send them on this wild trip. The look he'd had in his eyes in the meeting room when he'd said that they were leaving wasn't one they'd seen often. And, as bizarre as it was, that was the only area where they had more than one victim in the same geographical location.

"It's not the same as a private jet… but I could get used to travelling like this," said Morgan, taking one of the seats closer to the front.

"It's almost like a little private room," said Prentiss, across from him and already examining the inflight entertainment options. "Though a little small."

"This is quite roomy, actually, when you consider that some hotels in Japan sell these basic tube cutouts from the wall that are nothing more than a place to lie down in," said Reid, looking through the newest paperwork that Hotch had brought them. "Are these the most up-to-date files?"

"Yes," said Hotch, taking one of the middle-aisle seats. "They're still gathering some information and it should get to us once we're at cruising altitude."

"You are sure about this trip, then?" Rossi asked. "We're going to be on the other side of the world completely, so if anything else goes wrong and more bodies show up…"

"I realize the concern," said Hotch, glancing around to everyone. "But I know this is the right thing to do."

The curtain into first class parted and a young male flight attendant entered, briskly walking to the front of the cabin. He smiled at everyone before addressing them.

"Good evening, Agents. Our head flight attendant has informed me of the special circumstances of your trip, and I will be ensuring that your flight goes as smoothly as possible, with no interruptions. My name is Fionn Calder, and I'm in charge of our Premiere Cabin for the first half of the flight. Anything you need, just let me know. Can I start you off with a complimentary beverage?"

"Now that's more like it," said Morgan with a grin, sitting up. "You got anything on tap?"  
>"Morgan, you're on company time," reminded Reid.<p>

"Well… we do have a thirteen hour flight," said Hotch, shrugging. "Just don't go overboard on the alcohol, we need to hit the ground running when we land in Tokyo."

"Here's our complete beverage menu," said the flight attendant, handing copies out to everyone. "As this is First Class, everything is free."

"What about Wi-Fi support, or a fax machine?" asked Garcia. "We need to remain in contact with our headquarters."

"Wi-Fi will become available, for free, after take-off," replied Fionn, writing down Morgan and Prentiss's drink orders.

"Is there some sort of First Class Lounge on this aircraft?" asked Hotch. "A place where we can gather to go over details for our case?"

"Regrettably, this isn't one of our retrofitted 747's," said Fionn, apologetically. "We do have the rather large First Class galley behind me, right next to the lavatory, but that's the best we can do at the moment."

"We'll make do with this," said Hotch. "Thank you for your assistance."

Fionn nodded, finished gathering everyone's drink orders, and disappeared through the curtain and into the galley. Reid finished reading the files and handed them around to everyone else to start their catch-up reading. Fionn brought everyone a few pre-flight drinks and then hustled off to do the safety demonstration, once the remaining business and economy passengers were on the plane.

After they finally pushed back, the BAU took the taxi and take-off time to start mulling over the details to themselves, using their own personal expertise to try and make sense of the baffling case. But with so little to work with, and with such an unorthodox journey occurring, they found it hard to focus on the trip at hand. As they soared over western Pennsylvania, Garcia finally broke the silence, standing to grab her computers and portable printer-scanner.

"I'm really, really excited to see Japan for the first time," she said, practically quivering. "The Japanese always have the greatest and newest technologies."

"This isn't a field trip, Garcia, so you won't be able to do a lot of sightseeing. We're in and out as soon as we get what we need," reminded Hotch, cringing as he thought of letting Garcia loose on the streets of Tokyo.

"Oh! Yes, sir, I know, but I can always appreciate a culture and a new place, even if it's at a distance," said Garcia.

"Inaba doesn't get much further from Tokyo in terms of atmosphere," said Akihiko. "From what I understand, it's a… what's the phrase you would use… water something? Like… a hole in the ground?"

"Backwater, you mean?" suggested J.J., grinning. "Ah… the small town atmosphere. We won't go unnoticed there very long, then."

"Who is our contact in Inaba, anyway?" asked Morgan.

"Detective Ryotaro Dojima," replied Hotch.

"So this is the guy who caught the UnSub originally doing these murders, then?" asked Morgan.

"Actually…" Garcia muttered. "From what I saw, he was severely injured in an accident while pursuing one of the suspects… but he wasn't the one who captured him."

"Who was it, then?" asked J.J.

"Mum's the word on that," said Garcia, sighing. "I've looked high and low, but, so far, nothing in English directly pointed to the one who brought the sick-o to justice."

"And the UnSub was…?" asked Reid, trying to find the page in his book.

"Tohru Adachi… his partner," said Akihiko, practically spitting the name.

"His partner?" everyone repeated.

Just then, the curtain parted and Fionn walked back in, again inquiring if the agents needed anything, and asking when they wanted their evening meal served.

"As soon as possible, if you please. We didn't have much of a chance to eat this evening, since we had to begin this journey so quickly," said Hotch, earning him looks of relief from his comrades.

"I understand," said Fionn, bowing and heading back into the galley.

"Hey!" Garcia exclaimed suddenly. "You guys have to see this… Kevin's working his heart out in my place, which is adorable, and he's already sent us the crime scene photos from LaRoy Weiss and Harry Barnett's murder scenes."

"So they were both hanging from telephone poles this time…" said Prentiss, looking at the photos over Garcia's shoulder.

"There's no way you can climb a pole like that and just deposit a body. He's gotta be using something to help him," said Morgan.

"Garcia, maybe you could check records of road crews, telephone crews, and electric crews and the like. Check any recent repairs or work near the crime scenes," suggested Rossi.

"I'll do my best, sir," said Garcia. "Or, rather, I'll have Kevin get working on that right away… though it might be tough to get a lot of answers right now."

"Aw, that's the best you can come up with? I thought you were our Intelligence Princess?" teased Morgan.

"Well this Princess has to take a back seat to that temperamental Queen, Mother Nature," she said, tabbing to a weather satellite. "The entire East Coast is a mess; they've got lines of storms from Mississippi to New York. All of those companies are going to be out in force."

"It's so strange," said J.J., from across the aisle. "These photos… I mean, we've seen a lot… horrible mutilation, humans in positions and situations they should never be in… yet these photos are just so… eerie and uncomfortable to look at."

Hotch glanced over at the top of the stack. It was the file on LaRoy Weiss. He was hanging from the telephone pole by his legs, his pants ripping from holding his weight. His eyes were half open, though one drifted away from the other—probably a lazy eye—but he could see what J.J. meant. It was almost unnatural, the way his life had been taken, and it made Hotch nervous.

"Hey, Hotch, have a look at this one," said Reid, walking over. "This one, here, Harry Barnett is holding something in his hand. It's a piece of cloth with this symbol on it…"

Hotch reached up for the small stack of photos that Reid was holding and had just taken them when Fionn came backing out of the galley area, pulling a service cart. He crashed into Hotch's arm, sending the photos flying to the ground.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" Fionn gasped, scrambling to pick them up.

"No, it's fine," said Hotch, standing and trying to take the photos before Fionn saw too many of them. He didn't want the crime scene's photos seen by anyone unconnected to the case when there was so little information.

"Hey… this symbol…" said Fionn, starring at a close-up photo of the cloth.

"You recognize it?" asked Rossi, cutting his eyes to Fionn.

"Well… I guess it's not exactly an uncommon one," Fionn admitted, handing the stack of photos back to Hotch. "But that symbol looks really familiar to me."

"What is it, exactly?" asked Akihiko.

"I… I doubt it'll help the case, or anything," said Fionn. "But, that circle with the X running completely through it… it looks like the symbol of a guild from this one game I play."

"What game is that?" asked Garcia, whirling around in interest.

"It's called Divinity Online," said Fionn. "It's an MMO, so I doubt you would have—."

"What server do you play on?" asked Garcia, practically standing on her seat to look at Fionn.

"Uswelga is where my mains are," said Fionn, grinning. "I'm not in a guild though."

"Hmm… Garcia, have you finished running the background reports on the entire original victim pool?" asked Hotch, suddenly.

"Yes sir, I received those results a few minutes ago, but nothing sticks out. No overlap with anything, which isn't surprising, given the geographical area-."

"Run another one, including all our new people, but look into online purchases and interactions, especially in relation to this… Divinity game," said Hotch.

"You think that might have something to do with it?" asked Fionn.

"We can't rule out any connection. It could be a way for our UnSubs to communicate with each other, or locate their victims," said Hotch.

"Makes sense, I suppose," said Fionn. "Just… er… is that symbol the dead guy's holding… written in blood?"  
>Hotch glanced back at the photo. There was no doubt about it; it was dried blood. There were small blots above the symbol and it looked like he had written it with his fingers.<p>

"Macabre finger painting… and our first real clue," said Rossi, standing over him.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, your meals are ready," said Fionn, remembering himself and passing out the meals.

"So the next question, then," said Prentiss. "Did our UnSub write this note, or was it our victim?"

"The lab's already working on that," confirmed Garcia. "Kevin is also out for the night; he's coming in at 5:30 tomorrow morning, bless his soul, to get started on our information gathering."

"Good. Can you handle things until then?" asked Hotch.

"Well, since I'm not in my usual area, my capacity for information retrieval and compilation is down about 30%, but I can manage until Inaba," said Garcia.

"Just remember to sleep; we're going to be jetlagged if we don't try and get some rest on this flight," said J.J.

Prentiss laughed. "J.J., we're FBI. We don't get to sleep."

The team continued to discuss what little information they had as the flight continued. As the time wore on, talk turned away from the case and onto other things, mostly about Akihiko. He seemed friendly and open enough with them, but they could also detect a certain amount of distance between him and them. They also felt like there was something about the case that he wasn't sharing, but they didn't have any tactful way to ask him.

Their flight attendant, Fionn, checked in on them every twenty minutes or so, lingering slightly as he collected their trays and garbage, as though hoping to get another chance to try and help. He passed out extra blankets and pillows to everyone, and stopped to discuss Divinity with Garcia a couple of times as they continued to fly. One-by-one, everyone began to nod off and fall asleep.

.-

Hotch's eyes snapped open. He wasn't in the first class seat he'd been in before. Around him, everything was a deep blue or purple color. They layout was back to a more private jet type feel. The round windows on either side of him were adorned with purple curtains. In front of him sat an old man behind a table with a pentagram drawn on top of it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room," said the old man.

"Who are you?" asked Hotch, instinctively reaching for his gun, and remembering he didn't have it with him on the plane.

"My name is Igor, and you must be Agent Hotchner," said Igor.

"What is this place?" Hotch queried, glancing around and trying not to let the confusion rise inside of him.

"This is a place that exists between dream and reality," said Igor. "A dimension of the mind, where those who sign a contract receive their destiny."

"A contract, huh?" said Hotch, staring the man in the eyes. "And what exactly am I signing?"

He wanted to keep the man talking. He had to find more about him, learn what he could. Analysis. Remember the basics. Nothing had changed about that. He needed to know more about his opponent before he made a judgment on how to escape. The man, Igor, continued to peer at him over his impossibly large nose, his bloodshot eyes focused directly on him.

"You are merely signing that you will accept your fate of your own free will, and that you take responsibility for your actions," said Igor, grinning. He snapped his fingers and a floating clipboard appeared before Hotch, who jumped.

"Are you familiar with Halle Arnold? What about George Randall? Ron James?" asked Hotch, watching Igor for a reaction. He merely continued to smile. "What about a certain symbol of a circle with an X through it?"

"These are good questions, Agent Hotchner. However, I am not the one you need to ask those questions to," said Igor.

"Oh, really?" said Hotch. "I have seven impossibly murdered victims, and now I'm apparently trapped in this 'dimension' you seem to have created. Do you find it odd if I see a connection?"

"On the contrary," replied Igor, coolly. "You are a very astute man, Agent Hotchner. That is why I believe you were called to this room. Of course, our visitors are usually much younger… you should consider yourself honored."

He chuckled. Hotch didn't see the humor in the situation. Was this the UnSub? The logical part of his mind was reeling, trying to come up with an explanation. How had he been moved here without being woken up? How had nobody else noticed? Garcia and Morgan were still awake when he last remember being conscious, giggling to each other over something they were watching on Garcia's computer…

"Agent Hotcher," interrupted Igor. "Do you believe in fortune telling?"

"No," replied Hotch, flatly. "I don't. Fate, destiny, fortune… those are fabrications for people who don't feel in control."

"You are aware, though, of the Arcana?" queried Igor.

He flashed back to an earlier case, where Reid had given them all a crash course in arcana identification. It was hazy, but he still remembered bits and pieces about the twenty-something arcana and their role in fortune telling.

"Your cards show a turbulent future," Igor said, his voice mystical. "As you don't believe in the techniques of fortune telling with the cards, I see no reason to do the full reading. Understand, though, that you will have to open your mind in the very near future if you want to find the truth."

"The truth, huh? And I don't suppose you're going to help me find that truth, are you?" asked Hotch.

"On the contrary. Signing the contract binds me to assisting you in any way I can. The power you need to unlock the truth, to peer through the masks and the deceit, to understand how the impossible has become possible…" Igor said.

The clipboard still hovered there, waiting for Hotch to take it. There was only the single line on it about accepting his responsibilities and the consequences of any actions he took. It was the only sheet. He looked at Igor who peered back at him. It was impossible to read the man's face. He seemed to hold no emotion, except for polite anticipation, waiting for Hotch to sign the paper. Finally, seeing as nothing was going anywhere, he signed it.

"You heeded the call," Igor said, snapping his fingers again. "Back then. You recall the moments in your office."

Hotch felt his stomach jolt slightly and, once again, he reached for his gun. He stood up, finding his body feeling heavier all of a sudden. Had he been drugged?

"It was not I who gave you the call," said Igor. "It was the power that resides deep within your soul. Look within yourself, and you will feel it… when the time comes, of course."

"So you believe I have a power, then?" said Hotch, still trying to feel his way, sluggishly, towards the table. "A power that you granted to me?"

"I merely help manifest the power; it is not my place to grant your powers," said Igor. "Once you have awakened your power, you will return to me, in this room, and we will further discuss what you need to accomplish."

"Wait!" Hotch exclaimed, as his vision got hazier. The drugs were really kicking in now. "I want to know, what happened to my team? Where have you taken me?"

"They remain asleep in your world," said Igor. "Time continues its unending march, though do not worry; you, too, remain asleep in your own world. Take this key, and, when you want to return, use it on any door."

A large, shining, blue-purple key floated from Igor's hands to Hotch's. He took it carefully, and the key disappeared. He looked up at Igor, who was almost invisible due to the fog.

"Until we meet again…"

.-

Hotch snapped away. It was dark around him, save for the seat up by Garcia. Everyone had their window shades down. He looked forward and saw that Garcia was still awake, tacking away on her keyboard. He looked around again. Everyone else was asleep in their seats. He stood, shakily, and found that the heaviness had left. He stuck his hand in his pocket and withdrew the oversized, brilliantly colored key that Igor had given him. He walked shakily to Garcia, who jumped when she saw Hotch hanging over her shoulder.

"Sir! I'm so sorry, did I wake you? I tend to get really loud on the keys when I play these games…" Garcia asked in a frantic whisper.

"No… no I woke up on my own," said Hotch, staring at her screen. "What are you working on?"

"Oh… well..." Garcia shifted and picked up a second laptop, which was running a few scans. "This is the work laptop; this one I'm on right is my personal one. I'm playing Divinity."

"And do you have anything else to report?" asked Hotch.

"Yes! Sort of! I solidified a connection," said Garcia, excitedly bringing up several boxes of searches with highlighted boxes. "So, I took what you said and searched online purchases, especially with a connection to Divinity Online, and I found that of our seven victims, four had open subscriptions on their cards."

She pointed those out on the screen, and knelt down to get a better look.

"But, Halle Arnold, Ron James, and Garth Harold didn't have it on their cards, which was kind of a bummer. But then I realized a couple of things from hardcore Facebook creeping, and Halle, being a model, probably didn't pay for things on her own. Daddy seemed to buy her everything, if the many, many cars in her profile pictures was any indication… so I searched her Dad's maxed cards and, bingo! Divinity!

"With Ron, well he's a student, and I know if my parents had been alive, I would have milked their money for everything it was worth while still in school. His mom's card turned up a subscription, but that left Garth Harold. He was harder to find; no Facebook and doesn't do a lot of online transactions to begin with. But! He does have a live-in girlfriend, and I found an account for her and for him, paid for by her!" Garcia said, speaking very quickly and switching windows quicker than Hotch could keep up.

"So we know for sure that our victims have this connection. That makes our job easier," said Hotch.

"Well… not really," said Garcia. "Over 7 million people worldwide have accounts, and some have multiple accounts…"

"Still, it's a starting point," said Hotch, relieved that they had _something_ to tie everyone together. "See if you can locate their characters and learn what you can about them."

"Hack other Divinity accounts? I mean it's not hard to do, farmers do it all the time for gold and stuff but—," Garcia began, but cut herself off when the first class curtain parted.

A new flight attendant stood before them, a woman with long, curly brown hair and slightly too much make-up. She bowed slightly to Hotch and Garcia as she glanced through, picking up trash from the sleeping agents' seats.

"Who are you?" asked Hotch.

"My name is Irene Gibson," she whispered back. "I'm doing the second half the flight in First Class while Fionn is on rest break. We've still got about four hours of flying time left…"

Hotch nodded and walked back to his seat, his mind still racing. Irene left the First Class cabin and the only sound left was Garcia's tacking away between her two computers, trying to run further scans and continue playing the game. Hotch's mind felt completely drained; between the situation with Igor and now the realization that some weird game was their only connection… nothing made sense to him.

Before he knew it, there was a beep above him somewhere, and the captain announced that they were approaching Tokyo. They had been slightly delayed while in the air, along with fighting strong headwinds, so they were landing at 11:30 local time. He heard Akihiko grumble next to him as the First Class cabin began to straighten their seats and prepare for the landing. The curtains parted once more and Fionn and Irene came in one last time to make sure everything was prepared for landing.

"Penelope, it was fun playing the game with you," said Fionn as he tied up the final trash bag. "I hope we get to raid together sometime soon!"  
>"Absolutely!" exclaimed Garcia, a grin on her face. "Your heals and my tanking will crush everything."<p>

The rest of the cabin gave each other half-amused, half-confused glances as they stretched out of their naps. They opened their window shades, seeing all the lights of the city as they approached the airport. They landed, taxied to the gate, and headed through the terminal, Akihiko and Hotch in the lead. Akihiko warned them that they had to hurry; the last express train that headed in the direction of Yasoinaba station was leaving at quarter after midnight.

Despite the late hour, the streets of Tokyo were incredibly busy. The lights above reflected off of a low cloud bank, and the air felt heavy, as if it might rain. Most of the BAU kept their heads down as they followed Akihiko through the streets, though Garcia occasionally wandered away from the group to take a picture of something she deemed amazing. Her Technicolor wardrobe and hair didn't go unnoticed, and a lot of the denizens of Tokyo made comments about her, to which Akihiko couldn't help but chuckle.

"They keep calling her an otaku," he said, answering their confused looks.

"What's that mean?" asked Morgan, his eyes cutting to a pair of high school girls who were taking video of Garcia as she happily spun around in a circle in the middle of the street.

"It... basically, an impolite way to call someone a… what's the word you use in English… a nerd? A geek maybe?" said Akihiko.

"Hey! Baby Girl! Let's pick up the pace, eh?" Morgan called, walking back and guiding her with his arm around her. "Don't want you to get lost in the big city, right?"

"Ah, but Morgan! Doesn't it just make you feel so… excited, being in this new area?" asked Garcia.

"Well, Mama, I can't read any of these signs, so I actually just feel really confused," said Morgan, ruffling her hair playfully. "Let's keep up with the group, huh?"

"Of course, of course," said Garcia, putting her camera away and picking up the pace.

The other members of the BAU also couldn't hide their smiles as they entered the subway system. Akihiko guided them through the process of purchasing the passes, and they raced across the platform to the last train. It wasn't incredibly populated, something everyone express relief for.

"Six hours earlier they would have been so jam-packed that they'd have special people pushing us all into the train so that the doors could close," Reid commented.

"That seems… unsafe?" said Prentiss, raising an eyebrow.

"It's daily life for people in Tokyo," said Akihiko, shrugging. "I lived in a place called Iwatodai in high school, and we had some days like that, though nothing like we get in Tokyo and Osaka…"

They had to transfer trains twice. Hotch glanced at his watch. It was almost two in the morning, and he was still exhausted. The rest of his team showed varying levels of exhaustion as well. When they took the second train, they saw it was an old model that looked more like a trolley than a train.

"Well, Yasoinaba is a very sparsely populated area," said Akihiko. "Most days they don't even have anyone on the train as it goes back and forth. That's why we can get a train at two in the morning; it's a special occasion of sorts.

The uncomfortable and worn seats were hardly the most glamorous way to travel, so the BAU and Akihiko made do with what they had, trying to nap on the seats or the floor as they chugged along the tracks. Hotch took a seat next to a J.J., who was laying across the remainder of the row. Across from him, Prentiss read a book.

"Hotch, what's that in your hand?" she asked, suddenly.

Hotch looked down and saw that key that Igor had given him. He froze for a moment, unsure of how to answer why an enormous, azure key was resting in his clenched fist. Had he really been holding onto it that tightly since the flight?

"I couldn't even begin to tell you," said Hotch, truthfully. That's all he needed; let his team know he was losing his mind, on top of ordering them to fly halfway across the world.

"Heh, looks like a kid's toy. Did Jack stick it in your pants pocket?" asked Prentiss, chuckling.

"Oh… yes, he has done that on occasion," Hotch said, remembering times when random action figures would appear inside his shoes or underwear drawer. He breathed a quiet sigh of relief, happy for the ready-made excuse. "I guess he just wanted to make sure I wasn't locked out of the house when I got home."  
>Prentiss laughed again and returned to her book, and it was only a few minutes later that she, too, had slumped over in her seat, snoring lightly. Hotch glanced around the coach. Everyone else was also asleep, even Garcia. Hotch lay his head against the side of the train, and, while he found it bumpy, he allowed himself to nod off on the long train ride into the mountains and away from the city lights behind them.<p> 


	3. Chapter 3: Inaba

**Author's Note: Fair warning: we're slowly moving into spoiler territory for Persona 4. There is a rather minor-major one below (though, frankly, I've already spoiled the biggest plot element of the game in chapter 1). But if you haven't played Persona 4 (and I doubt you haven't otherwise why would you be reading this?), please read on with caution. I apologize for the pacing of this story, it's not going nearly as fast as I want it to but the set-up is necessary before the real fun can begin. Your patience is highly appreciate.**

Chapter Three: Inaba

The train screeched to a shaky halt on a tiny, dark, run-down platform. The BAU members and Akihiko all awoke and stretched their aching, travel-worn muscles. They couldn't wait to get to their hotel and get an actual restful night's uninterrupted sleep. Hotch picked up his bags and lead the team off the small train.

On the platform they could see the faint glow of a cigarette from a lone figure on a bench. The figure stood and walked towards the group, stepping into the light from a single pole light above them. His dark hair was short, but it stuck out in many directions, as though he'd been running his hand through it all night. It looked like it had been a couple of days since he'd shaved, and his tie was loose around his neck.

Akihiko strode forward and shook his hand firmly and bowed. He spoke to him quickly in Japanese and then turned back to the BAU members.

"This is Ryotaro Dojima. He's the chief of police here in Inaba," explained Akihiko.

He bowed to them and everyone bowed in return. Through Akihiko's translations, he welcomed them to the Inaba area and explained that they'd first be heading to the Amagi Inn, where they would be able to get a full night's sleep. As Dojima began to talk about their presence, they could see that he wasn't meeting their eyes and seemed highly uncomfortable with the whole situation.

"He says that they just told him this evening about your arrival, so he hasn't had time to look at any case files or anything," explained Akihiko. "He said he'll have that as good to go by tomorrow morning as possible and requests you meet him at the Inaba police office first thing tomorrow morning."

"Please tell him we'll be there at 9:00 sharp," said Hotch. "The rest of us will get as much sleep as possible."

Akihiko explained to them what was going on and Dojima nodded to the group and began to walk away. They followed him down into the parking lot where two uniformed officers awaited them with large cars, which took them across the tiny town and further west, up into the hills around town. The trip was mostly silent; nearly everyone was still in a stupor and only Garcia seemed to have any energy as her head spun around excitedly, looking towards the town and up to the inn they were approaching.

"Garcia," whined Prentiss in a voice thick with exhaustion. "You keep bumping into me… can't you wait till tomorrow?"

"But it's so clear up here! You can see the stars everywhere!" Garcia said, breathlessly. "This isn't a view you could ever get in DC!"

"Doesn't take much to get you excited, does it?" commented Akihiko, grinning from the bench of seats in front of her.

"I like to think of myself as low-maintenance in the fun department," she replied.

The vans slowly rolled up to a very ornate-looking building. On the porch steps stood two figures, both clad in expensive-looking kimonos, their hair done up in a bun with chopsticks sticking out. As the BAU members stepped down, the younger of the two moved forward, bowing low.

"Welcome to the Amagi Inn," she said, in very heavily accented English. "We have been forewarned of your arrival. Please, follow me."

The BAU members walked into the entrance hall, each more awake with the new sights and sounds. The pillars rose up around them, the ceilings remarkably high. Sculptures and paintings and works of art hung around the walls, while comfortable-looking couches sat below them, providing plenty of seating. Other staff members carefully collected the BAU members' bags and took them off towards the rooms. The kimono-clad girl who spoke English stood before them again.

"You are fortunate to have arrived at such a time as this," she explained. "It has been slow the past two weeks so we were able to secure each of you a room. Restroom facilities are located at each wing, and our hot spring area is centrally located for your convenience."

"I can't foresee us getting a lot of use of that," said Rossi.

"Are you kidding? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take advantage of Japanese hospitality and culture! I'm totally taking a soak," said Garcia. "Miss… uh… I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Amagi Yukiko," said the girl, bowing. "May I answer any questions you have?"

"Is the… uh… hot spring… are there one for girls and boys?" asked Garcia.

"I'm afraid we only have one and we alternate the hours for both men and women," replied Yukiko, bowing her head apologetically. "You will find a schedule of hours in your rooms. I understand it is late, so please, allow me to show you to your rooms."

"Thank you very much," the others replied, walking in.

As each entered the room, they found their bags stacked neatly in the corner, a futon spread cleanly across the floor. Too exhausted to consider anything else, the entire BAU team each quickly climbed into their beds and their eyes closed, falling into a deep slumber.

_ The two ran together, their eyes wide and their faces paler than they should have been. The darkness crept up behind them as a sole figure seemed to be chasing them. He raised a gun, but pointed it to his own head… and with a bang a great winged creature rose up, flying towards the two others who were running._

_ The flash of darkness flew across their field of vision and everything disappeared._

It came as no surprise to Hotch that he had four voicemails from Strauss the next morning when he woke up. They were all much of the same: where are you, did the trip go okay, and we're going to have a very long discussion about this when we get back because the higher ups are going to have a fit when they learn of this diversion. He sighed and went to the boys' wash room on the far wing, hoping to freshen up before they were taken to the police barracks.

Once he packed a day bag with only the files, folders, and tools he needed, Hotch headed downstairs to meet up with the rest of his team. He saw J.J., Prentiss, and Morgan were already in the sitting area in the entrance way, dressed and ready to go. A few seconds later, Rossi joined them, holding a steaming cup of coffee, and Reid walked into view a few minutes later, his face buried in a pamphlet.

"You can read Japanese, Reid?" asked Morgan.

"Most of it," replied Reid, absently scratching his chin. "It's one of those languages I can… y'know… read it and understand it, but I can't understand it verbally. You know how that is?"

"Oh, right, sure," said Morgan, as he and Prentiss shared a grin and eye-roll. "I gotcha."

"Garcia and Sanada aren't here yet, then?" asked Hotch.

"I actually ran into Akihiko this morning; he went for a jog to get his blood pumping," said J.J. "He should be here shortly."

"And Garcia?" asked Hotch.

Everyone glanced at each other and sighed, some cracking smiles. Lord knows were Garcia probably was, but they had a feeling she'd make a grand entrance when she did show up.

They weren't disappointed. A few minutes later, after Akihiko arrived, they heard a wooden clacking noise. Sprinting (as best she could anyway) down the hallway was Garcia. She was wearing a brightly-colored kimono and the wooden shoes to go with it. With three of her brightest bags slung over her arms and rolling behind her, she also had a paper parasol balanced over her right shoulder.

"You've really outdone yourself this time," commented J.J.

"We need to get moving if we want to be there on time," said Hotch, without any further comment from Garcia's attire.

"I'm not sure I can handle these shoes all day," said Garcia, looking down at her feet. "They're made of wood, which is super cool, but also super painful and I think I'm going to end up with killer blisters by the end of the day."

"You look fantastic though," said Morgan, taking one of the bags from her. "Where'd you find that get-up anyway?"

"It was hanging in my room! It's like they _knew _me!" said Garcia, grinning.

The ride to the station took them into the heart of downtown Inaba… or what was left of it. They passed a few students in uniform walking towards the local schools, and passed even more shuttered businesses on their way past the shopping district. Akihiko remarked how Inaba had apparently had recent issues with a department store moving into the area, driving a lot of other places out of business.

"It's like a ghost town in some spots," said Prentiss, glancing out the window.

"It's actually a little better than it was two years ago… they also had a huge wave of mysterious fog that lasted nearly a month and that drove down the usual tourism, not to mention the murders," said Akihiko, glancing at a shrine as they drove past.

"So tell me something, who actually caught the suspect… Adachi?" asked Rossi.

"If I'm being honest… I'm not sure," said Akihiko. "That information was not made available to me. We're going to have to speak with Dojima-san about that."

"Dojima-san?" asked Morgan.

"Honorifics," said Reid. "-san is one that's used as a general mark of respect… sort of like how we us Mr. and Mrs. in English."

"Are there any others we might need to be aware of?" asked Hotch.

"I don't foresee it… there are others, such as –chan, -kun, -sensei, -sama…" said Reid. "But those first two are more familiar and you don't want to risk offending someone by using the wrong one. Sensei represents often a teacher or master, someone who is higher than you… and –sama…"

"Are… you sure you even need me here?" asked Akihiko, his head cocked to the side.

"Trust me, you're a much safer translator than Reid," said Prentiss in a low whisper as Reid tried to explain more differences to Morgan.

The barracks for Inaba were very basic. The group entered, much to the surprise of many of the uniformed officers in the area, and they immediately saw Dojima as he came to greet them. Through Akihiko, he explained where each area was in the tiny facility, as well as where Garcia could set up her stuff.

"Not much to work with," she commented, glancing around the barren room she'd been assigned; one of the old holding facilities. "I'm going to need to turn the charm up to eleven if I want to survive this case."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Garcia," said Hotch. "But before you set up on the only sizeable table in this place, let's show Dojima our case files and get his input?"

"Of course, sir, I'll just start with the mess of wires and build up from there," said Garcia, wandering over to the far wall and zipping open one of the briefcases, digging right in to the mess of wires.

"Dojima-san," said Hotch, addressing him directly and causing the lead detective to look up sharply. "The reason we're here is because we think you can help us with a very familiar case. We need to know everything you know."

Akihiko explained and Dojima nodded. Reid took out his paper copies of all the case files and pictures and began to lay them on the table in front of Dojima. As his eyes moved across the crime scene photos, they bugged and he began to sweat profusely. His legs seemed to be shaking and he almost fell to the ground.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Hotch, concerned.

Akihiko questioned him and Dojima responded in a hoarse whisper. Akihiko's own eyes widened and he asked him another question, receiving another shaky reply. Akihiko turned his eyes to the BAU and back to Dojima, and then back to Hotch and the others again.

"He says… he says he can't believe it's happening again, especially since they've got Adachi locked up still. But he's not here, he's held in Okina City, which is close by…" said Akihiko.

"What else did he say?" asked Rossi, stepping forward.

"That's… pretty much it," said Akihiko, but he gave the briefest of glances back to Dojima.

"There's something you're not telling us though, isn't there?" asked Rossi. "Or, rather, something Dojima-san isn't telling us."

"… He says you won't believe how the crimes were committed in the first place," said Akihiko. "And the way he just explained it to me… it doesn't make sense. It's not physically possible."

Hotch felt his heart sink as he flashed back to Igor and the Velvet Room, as well as the voice he heard back in his office. He had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, and, for some reason, he felt his muscles tensing against his own accord.

"Well it does seem unbelievable, when you consider the geographic area," said Reid. "And the—."

"I… that's not what he… means… I think…" said Akihiko, who was also beginning to sweat. "He literally means that there is no physical way that the murders you have in America happened in this world."

"I don't get it," said Prentiss, flatly. "Are you saying that there's some other world in which the murders could have happened and the bodies just _happened_ to turn up in all those different towns?"

"… precisely," said Akihiko, sighing and rubbing his forehead.

The silence that followed that was punctured only by Dojima's heavy breathing. Prentiss and Morgan's mouths were both hanging open, Reid's face was a mask of confusion, J.J. and Rossi both had unbelieving, raised eyebrows and Garcia had wires tangled all around her kimono, but had stopped maneuvering when she'd heard that. Hotch also felt himself begin to sweat, and the uneasy feeling really grew.

Dojima broke the silence finally and said something in Japanese to Akihiko. Akihiko spoke a little heatedly with him for a moment before he sighed and turned back to the members of the BAU.

"He says that, as unbelievable as it is, he can actually prove to you everything you want to know, but that it will take several hours," said Akihiko. "Because he isn't capable of… showing you… that world."

"You've got to be kidding," Morgan practically shouted. "We flew halfway across the planet for you whack-jobs to sit there and tell us our murders took place in some other dimension!"

"It may be possible that there are other dimensions out there," said Reid. "But… nobody has yet discovered one, and I don't think the first thing it'd be used for is murder on a wide scale…"

"Hotch… you brought us here, what do you think we should do?" asked J.J., looking a little irritated.

"… Can you have our proof here in two hours?" asked Hotch, gripping the Velvet Room's key in his pocket.

"According to him," said Akihiko, after he translated. "He needs to fetch a few people from around town, but several of them are currently in school and will be until late this afternoon. He says he can get them, but requests that Hotch-san accompany him to the school."

"I can't believe we're wasting our time with this bullshit," said Morgan, sitting down in one of the chairs at the table Garcia was carefully taking over. "We're gonna have a dozen bodies by the time we get back to Quantico… this is a wild goose chase."

"You're still getting paid and we have no other leads back there anyway," snapped Hotch. "Let's hear them out."

Everyone was silent for a moment, surprised to see Hotch showing irritation. Hotch himself was a little shocked; maybe the jet lag was affecting him worse than he consciously realized. After a few minutes of tense silence, Garcia cleared her throat and everyone turned to look at her.

"Um… so… who caught the unsub the first time anyway…" she asked quietly.

Akihiko translated to Dojima and Dojima sighed and said a few words back to Akihiko. A stunned look crossed his face and he turned slowly back to the BAU members.

"He said… those people we're going to see later are responsible for his capture…" said the young agent.

That was all Hotch needed to know. He requested that he, Dojima, and Akihiko immediately head out to the school and meet up with the students. The drive was a silent and still tense one. Dojima still seemed shell-shocked and brooded the entire way there. Akihiko's brow was furrowed the entire way, and he was deep in thought. Hotch spent the entire time wondering if his sanity was finally leaving him and debating on how best to explain the situation to Strauss, especially if more bodies were found.

The Yasogami school was small and ancient-looking, but still seemed to be kept up to a decent condition. The three adults entered the school and spoke very briefly with the principal, who nodded and lead them up to the top floor. The floors creaked as they walked; Hotch wondered if the building was going to collapse under them after all. They arrived at a classroom—3-1, according to the sign above the door—and the principal entered.

"He's fetching three students that you need to speak to," explained Akihiko.

The three students came out to face him. Two girls (one dressed in a boy's uniform) and an enormous guy stood before him, smiling politely and shifting uncomfortably. Dojima spoke quickly to them, apparently introducing them to the two detectives and, after a brief pause and glance to Hotch, said something that made all three gasp, their eyes widening.

"Agent Hotchner," said Akihiko, shifting back to a more formal English, "These three students are among a group of eight who were responsible for capturing Tohru Adachi. I present to you Rise Kujikawa, Kanji Tatsumi, and Detective Naoto Shirogane."

Each of the three students bowed gracefully (or clumsily, in Kanji's case) as their names were spoken. Hotch stared at Naoto, the girl in male's clothing. She met his gaze and then stepped forward, extending her hand.

"It's a pleasure," she said. "I urge you to hold your skepticism back until we explain fully what's going on."

"So you speak English too," said Hotch.

"As a descendent of the Shirogane clan, it is expected of me," said Naoto. "We consult with law offices all over the world. A second language is a must."

"Hey! Don't forget about me," said the other girl, Rise, in an extremely high-pitched but heavily-accented voice as well. "I speak some too!"  
>"Rise Kujikawa… hm. Never thought I'd actually meet you," said Akihiko, grinning.<p>

"Ehehe… you can call me Risette if you want," she said, winking coyly at Akihiko.

"Rise-san is a bit of a star here in Japan, and even internationally," explained Naoto. "Perhaps you're familiar with her?"

"No," said Hotch flatly. "I'm not."

Rise looked momentarily pouty, but affixed a smile back to her face and quickly turned her attention back to Akihiko, whose vague, aloof interest at least went well beyond Hotch's flat out apathy. Meanwhile, Kanji and Dojima both looked confused; it was obvious neither one understood English fluently enough to keep up with the conversation.

Naoto began to help Akihiko with translating as they exited the school and headed back towards the station. They still hadn't revealed any details on how they caught Adachi; Naoto and Rise both explained that they wanted everyone to be there so that they didn't have to tell the whole story twice. When they entered the old interrogation room a few minutes later, they saw that, in addition to the BAU members, the girl from the inn was there.

"Yukiko-san! It's good to see you again," said Rise, rushing forward to embrace her. "I'm so sorry I haven't visited, school's been a nightmare with exams coming up!"

"It's all right…" said Yukiko. "Please, don't worry about it Rise-chan."

The two girls abruptly switched into Japanese and began talking very quickly. Naoto sighed and reprimanded them, shutting them up long enough for the bewildered BAU team to ask Hotch how the trip had gone.

"They're preparing to reveal the truth to us," said Hotch. "They just wanted to have us all gathered at once."

"Yes," said Naoto, striding forward. "And allow me to introduce myself. I'm Naoto Shirogane and these are my companions Kanji Tatsumi and—."

"_RISETTE!_" squealed Garcia, barreling out of the hot mess of wires exploding on the far side of the room.

"_I. Love. Your. Hair!" _both girls exclaimed as they nearly collided in their excitement. Then they realized everyone was looking directly at them and they relented.

"Yukiko, how come you're here?" asked Akihiko.

"Oh… they asked me to come and translate," said Yukiko.

"Nobody at this police station speaks a word of English," said J.J. "It was short notice and the only real way."

"Well now that you have Naoto-kun, perhaps I should return to the inn…" Yukiko said, taking a few tentative steps toward the door.

"That won't be necessary," said Naoto. "In fact, having you here is more important now that we know the nature of these agents' visits."

Kanji, who had been quiet, finally seemed to have reached his peak confusion and began to ask Naoto and Dojima a lot of questions in Japanese, his face flushed and his eyes wearing a heavy scowl. Naoto's quick and curt explanation seemed to change his attitude completely as a look of dawning comprehension replaced the scowl and his face went from flushed to uneasy.

"There are actually four others who should be present, but only two of them are currently in town," said Naoto, half to herself and half for the benefit of the BAU.

"Look. We've been patient with you all up to this point, but this is getting ridiculous. We've got a murderer out there who has already killed seven people and is planning to kill more," said Morgan, picking up one of the files. "Now we come here and get told that a bunch of school children are going to solve a mystery in a mysterious world not of our own. You better start explaining how these people ended up like these pictures show and do it fast."

Naoto fixed him with a fierce stare and it looked like she wanted to say something to him, but she instead took a deep breath, relented, and accepted the folder of pictures from Morgan. She only had to look at the first one before she gasped loudly and dropped the folder, spilling the pictures out all around them. As the other Inaba teens saw the pictures, they, too, screamed and took a few steps back, each looking sick.

"No… not again…" muttered Rise, falling to her knees.

The entire BAU was shocked by the reaction. They'd all reacted far worse to the photos than they'd expected.

"Listen…" muttered Naoto, her entire face crushed as she knelt to pick up the photos. "I know this is going to be hard to believe… because I was once in your shoes. But believe me when I say that there is an explanation that will answer all of your questions. I only ask that you give us one chance to prove it."

"Please, as soon as you can," said Hotch. "We will wait."

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying… two of our four companions are out of town at university at the moment. I will do my best to contact and recall them to Inaba but it will be at least a day's travel from Kyoto and Osaka for them. In the meantime, the other two people we have to see, will undoubtedly be at Junes."

"Junes?" asked J.J.

"Yes. The department store," said Naoto.

"Oh, so it's basically Inaba's Wal-Mart or something," said Prentiss.

"And at this…. 'Junes' place, that's where you'll answer our questions?" asked Rossi.

"Absolutely. I just, once again, urge you to keep an open mind and hear us out completely," said Naoto. "Because, and I can assure you of this, you will not believe what you see."


	4. Chapter 4: Truth

**Author's Note:**

**My apologies for the length of time between the previous update and this one. I recently started a new career and moved halfway down the coast, so my time to write has been extremely limited. However, I should be able to churn out updates a little quicker now, and we're finally going to get into the part of the story that I'm most excited to write about. I appreciate your patience and I am really glad you're all enjoying the story so far!**

Chapter 4: Truth

Hotch left Garcia, Reid, and J.J. behind at the station with Akihiko and Rise while the remaining members of the BAU headed to the Junes place. Their cars made their way through town much more quickly than they had earlier, and it wasn't long before they arrived at the large department store. They had seen it before, of course; it was the only building that reached over five stories in the entire town. But, to think that the answer to their mysteries were in the store was almost too much for them to bear.

The ride was silent, and Hotch made use of the time by covertly watching the rest of his travel companions. Prentiss and Morgan both looked extremely agitated. It was obvious that they saw this all as a waste of time and not worth their effort. Rossi seemed lost in thought and there was a frown on his face, but Hotch also could sense his strong curiosity as to why such young investigators would know so much. The Inaba residents, however, all shared the same glum and serious look.

It seemed most of the customers in the store were housewives doing their grocery shopping, which wasn't surprising given the time of day. They let Naoto lead the group, explaining that she was attempting to locate the other two locals, who would be working there. After she spoke to the manager, they headed to the produce aisles.

A boy with orange hair and enormous headphones clamped to the sides of his head sang to himself in broken English as he stacked heads of cabbage into one of the coolers. He didn't notice their approach until Yukiko walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

He didn't react well at first, sounding aggressive until he saw who it was. Then a smile broke out on his face, which quickly shifted to a mask of concern upon seeing the agents and the serious looks all around. He spoke quickly to Yukiko, who, in a hushed voice, probably told him what had brought them there because his eyes also grew wide and he immediately broke out in sweat. He turned and started to run up the aisle, to which Morgan and Prentiss twitched as though they were going to pursue him.

"Wait!" Naoto said. "He's going to get our final companion."

"Hotch…" Morgan said, his voice tight with annoyance.

"Morgan, we've come this far. Let's just let them bring everyone together so we can get our answers," Hotch said, bracingly.

They waited in silence for almost five minutes. None of the Inaba residents would look at the BAU members, instead seeming to think very carefully about everything. Naoto muttered to herself, while Kanji continued to ask Yukiko questions, scratching his head and frowning. Rossi and Hotch exchanged a look, the former shrugging and meandering over to look at a shelf full of electronic products. Finally, they heard Youske call from down the aisle.

When they saw the guy in the bear suit coming along with him, Hotch realized that, if it wasn't for the serious situation they were in, he might have actually smiled at the dumbfounded looks on Morgan, Prentiss, and Rossi's faces as well. Youske and the bear-suited guy reached them, with the bear-guy speaking in a high-pitched whining voice, often repeating the word "kuma."

"We have all assembled. Please, follow me," said Naoto, walking towards one of the televisions.

"You have got to be fucking _kidding me_," snarled Morgan, suddenly. "We've put up with a lot of your bullshit for the past day and a half, but this is a waste of time. I don't think you all understand, we've got a half dozen people dead and you're bringing out this ridiculous bear costume and—."

"Watch," said Naoto, simply.

She placed her hand on one of the largest televisions. Immediately, her hand sank straight through it, cutting off Morgan's ranting. The BAU members were silenced again, their mouths hanging open. Naoto turned to look back at them, and stepped into the television, disappearing altogether.

"What the… where did she go?" cried Prentiss.

"Did she… go inside the television?" asked Reid, rushing forward to look behind it.

Hotch noticed Dojima looking as horrified as the rest of the members of the BAU. He looked to Youske, Yukiko, Kanji, and the bear-suited guy. And then he, too, stepped forward and, arm trembling, placed his hand into the television. Youske walked forward, put his hand on Dojima's shoulder, and walked him into the television, both swallowed up by the screen.

Rossi looked to Yukiko, who nodded slowly. He took a few tentative steps forward, paused at the front of the tv, and then he himself walked in.

"Rossi!" cried Prentiss, running forward. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Trust us," said Yukiko. She walked forward and gently took Prentiss' hand, walking her carefully into the television. Kanji walked forward next, motioning for the remaining members of the BAU to follow him in. After a moment of his own hesitation, and with his heart pounding, Hotch began to walk forward. He heard Morgan say something behind him, but, by then, Hotch was already entering the television, feeling the odd sensation of his entire body being pulled into the screen.

He fell through a world of white and black lines. But then he landed softly on a bit of grass. He was in the middle of a field, the sun shining down on him from a shimmering sky. In front of him, he could see a stream rolling through the field, heading toward an enormous lake. He could see the others, too: Naoto, Yukiko, Youske, and Kanji all looked strangely peaceful, with smiles lingering on their faces. Dojima, Rossi, and Prentiss were speechless, their mouths still hanging open in shock.

"Look out belowww!" came a cry from above.

Hotch took a few steps out of the way and Morgan and the bear guy came crashing down from above. Morgan rolled onto his legs at the last moment, his hand on the gun at his belt, looking around wildly.

"Where are we?" he asked. "What the hell did they do to us?"

"This is my world," said the bear-suited guy. His voice was more chipper than Hotch had expected. "This is where I live when I'm not in your world."

"Our world?" asked Hotch. "What are you…"

"This is a world apart from our own," said Naoto. "Back when those disappearances and murders were taking place in Inaba, this is where the people were actually killed. This is what I needed to show you. And why you wouldn't otherwise believe me."

"Yeah… I admit that I couldn't believe it at first, either…" said Dojima. "But… my daughter, Nanako, she was taken here and…"

"Hold on a moment…" said Prentiss. "You could speak English this whole time?"

"What…?" asked Dojima.

"You… you realize you're speaking fluent Japanese, right?" asked Yukiko, suddenly.

There was a moment of silence as everyone looked at each other, lost for words.

"So, what you're saying is…" said Kanji, slowly. "We're… speaking English to you, even though you're speaking Japanese to us?"

"See, right there; that was English!" said Morgan.

"No, he was speaking Japanese… it's hard to explain…" said Naoto. "I can understand both, so…"

"And I as well, though English is much clearer to me in this world…" said Yukiko.

"Maybe it's an effect of this world," said Teddie, hopping forward. "After all, you could all understand me perfectly when you first came in and I don't think I spoke Japanese well until I met you all!"

"That would make sense…" muttered Naoto, frowning and tapping her forehead.

"Okay, so we can all understand each other. Perfect," said Morgan. "So, now that we can, how about you all explain what the hell is going on around here?"

"It will take some time," said Yukiko.

"It's a really long story, but… well…" Youske said, scratching his neck awkwardly.

The Inaba residents began to explain their stories, about how people were disappearing and thrown into the television world, only to appear dead days later during the heavy fog. Rossi took copious amounts of notes while the rest of the BAU members listened in stunned silence as the group explained about having to come in and search for the missing people, listing everyone who had gone missing, including two names they hadn't heard yet.

"This Mitsuo and Namatame…" said Hotch. "What relevance do they have?"

"Mitsuo Kubo was convicted of the murder of Kinshiro Morooka," said Dojima. "But our investigation proved that Mitsuo wasn't connected to the actual disappearances, he was a copycat looking for attention. Morooka never went missing, and we found an easily-traceable cause of death from him."

"Right," said Naoto. "And Namatame was an initial suspect, but turned out to be an unwitting pawn of Tohru Adachi's."

"So, then, you're saying the people who were killed in the United States were killed in this world?" said Prentiss. "That's not really something we can say to our bosses…"

"Welcome to my world…" muttered Dojima.

"As crazy as this sounds…" said Rossi. "That would explain a lot of the impossibilities of our cases. If one can access this world from different locations, it's probably possible to go to many different places around the world from a relatively small area."

"That may be correct. We have no way of knowing how large this world is compared to our own, nor all of the entrances and exits back into our world," said Naoto.

"But there's a beary large problem with your guesses," the bear-suit guy said. "I've been back and forth from your world a lot recently and I never sensed anyone else in here. The Shadows have been quiet, too, so I don't think this is the right place…"

"Shadows? Your world? What exactly _are_ you?" asked Hotch.

"I'm Teddie," said the bear-guy. "Pleased to meetcha!"

He stuck out his blue, gloved paw for Hotch to shake, who felt very bemused as he did so. Hotch's mind was reeling and he felt a headache coming on. If everything they were saying was true… how were they going to even find their UnSub? Or prevent further victims?

"I think the others need to see this world," said Rossi.

"Yeah. I can't wait to see Reid's face when he gets put into a television," said Morgan, his demeanor shifting.

"We'll have them brought to Junes, then," said Hotch. "Dojima, could I have you and Naoto take care of that? I want to ask the rest of you about this world and more about the murders."

While they waited for the arrival of their remaining team members, Hotch listened to more detailed explanations from everyone, including the ones who kidnapped by Adachi and Namatame. The details came forth, but Hotch couldn't help but feel as though something was still being left out about their experiences, some major part they weren't explaining. The others picked up on it, too, and their probing for further information cemented their thoughts as the others attempted to evade the questionss.

The reactions from the others were about what they expected. J.J. was struck dumb and silent, Garcia alternated between how "super creepy weird" it was and how fantastically beautiful things were, and Reid had a few moments of shock that turned thoughtful.

"There are dozens of theories out there about other worlds connected and running parallel to our own," said Reid. "But proof is all but impossible to come by. Until now."

"But from what everyone's said… this world… it isn't the place where the murders took place," said Akihiko, having taken the hidden world in much better stride than the BAU. "So this might be a dead end."

"Or could it be that there are other worlds, or other sections that we can't see?" asked Reid.

"I can sense the whole world here clearly," said Teddie. "Nobody has been here… except when these guys or Nanako came to visit me."

"Nanako came to visit you?" asked Dojima shocked. "She's been back here?"  
>"Oh! Yeah, Nana-chan comes here a lot," said Teddie. "Everyone does! Picnics, parties, that sort of thing!"<p>

"Uh… Teddie… I don't think you were supposed to tell Dojima-san about that," muttered Youske.

"Oh… oops!" Teddie said, grinning.

"I think we've got all the information we need for right now," said Hotch, his spirits sinking. "We should probably return…"

"Do we have to go already…?" Garcia asked, looking around. "It's so peaceful here…"

"Yes," said Hotch. "On that note, do you have any new information…?"

"Yes!" Garcia said, whirling around. "The bloody symbol? It does trace back to a guild on Divinity, just like what Fionn told me. And, wouldn't you know it; every single one of our victims had a character in the guild on one of two different servers!"

"You're kidding," said Prentiss. "That's our connection? An online game?"

"And that means anyone on the roster of those guilds could be one of our unsubs… or more potential victims," said Rossi.

"How many are there?" asked Hotch.

"… 650," said Garcia.

"What?" cried the others.

"Wait! It's not as bad as it sounds," said Garcia. "See, lots of people who play have multiple characters, so it's possible some people in the guild have upwards of 10 toons… that is, characters… in the guild."

"Can you trace them to accounts?" asked Hotch.

"I can, yes," said Garcia. "But I have to do it one-by-one… the company won't divulge anything without a search warrant and I really don't have time to wait for that…"

"What if we helped?" asked Reid. "Perhaps then we could get it done a lot more quickly…"

"Well, that's very nice of you to offer, but the police station in Inaba is… er… technologically stunted," said Garcia, choosing her words carefully. "Their computer hook-ups aren't the best and there isn't much room…"

"How about at Yasogami High School?" interrupted Rise, suddenly. "We just got a whole new computer lab; like twenty computers. We could even help you if you wanted."

"That's a great idea, actually," said Dojima. "I'll speak with the principal about it myself. Agent Hotchner, if you want to get your team assembled and at the school, we can open the doors for you and let you work."

"Absolutely," said Hotch, shaking Dojima's hand. "I appreciate the help."  
>"Well, let's get out of there then," said Teddie, stomping his foot and making the stack of exit televisions appear. "I'll get you guys outta here in a jiffy!"<p>

The members of the BAU didn't even have time to be properly shocked by the random appearance of the televisions before they were ushered out by Teddie and the other residents of Inaba. They found themselves falling back into the world of Junes' electronics department, which was thankfully still empty. Their minds were spinning over everything they'd seen, and it took a moment for them to get their bearings.

"I feel a little fatigued," muttered Reid, holding his head in his hands.

"Yeah… that world really saps your energy the first time you're in it," said Naoto. "Even a short stay can be very draining."

"I… can't even believe we're just standing here, calmly discussing this," said J.J. "We just burst out of a television, in a world that can't possibly exist."

"Dojima, could you have a car take us to the school as soon as possible?" Hotch asked, turning to the man.

Dojima perked up when he heard his name, but he looked completely confused as Hotch continued to speak. He finally shook his head and shrugged. Hotch sighed. Apparently their new-found language skills weren't going to carry over back on their side of the television. Naoto and Yukiko immediately switched back into translator mode, and Dojima lead them out past the few remaining bemused shoppers, back into the town.

A few hours later, after school had let out and almost all of the students had left, the BAU members found themselves in Yasogami High's computer lab. They were joined by Dojima, Naoto, Rise, and Kanji; Yukiko had returned to the Inn to help her family and both Teddie and Youske were still on the clock at Junes. Garcia, after taking almost two hours to properly secure and update the computers, finally began to explain what exactly they had to do to run the proper checks.

"Because of the staggering number of records I would have to go through, and because Divinity has annoyingly strong security systems in place…" Garcia explained. "I'm teaching you all a little bit of Garcia-class brilliance. It may be too much for you all to bear, even our resident genius boy here."

Her co-workers smirked as they settled in at the old, wooden desks and chairs. The custom-made scanner Garcia had placed on the computers only required them to input the names of the characters, check the account it was attached to, and verify the name and payment information to see who it truly belonged to.

"And, before you ask, Kevin just finished up his day in Quantico, and we have found nothing in any of the electric company or telephone company records for the locations our victims were found in. But, to be fair, there are also about a dozen different lines of storms striking all through the country—."

_Beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbeep_.

Hotch glanced down at his phone and felt his heart sink. It was Strauss.

"Gotta take this. Go ahead and get started on your scans, I'll be… out here…" said Hotch, sighing and walking away.

He stepped into the hallway, slid the door shut behind him, and answered the phone.

"Aaron, do you have any idea how many times I've tried to call you today?" she snarled.

"My apologies, service isn't that reliable in this town," explained Hotch. "But we have made contact with the local police department and… we've learned some information that we think will be helpful in catching our UnSub..."

"Well, Aaron, that would be fantastic news… if we didn't have two more bodies in Mississippi!" shouted Strauss.

Hotch's stomach knotted up. Not again…

"However, we've been able to keep the media hushed up for a change, even though you've taken our main liaison from us," said Strauss. "A massive tornado hit the town last night and destroyed most of the homes on the block, so all of the locals assumed the storm did it."

"But no cause of death was properly determined, correct?" asked Hotch, rubbing his forehead.

"Yes. They were sprawled over a telephone pole again. Same as your other victims. I've had the information forwarded to Garcia through her stand-in technical analyst. Don't you think it's about time you all returned to this hemisphere and get some actual work done?" she asked, testily.

Something inside Hotch suddenly changed, and he felt mildly sick to his stomach. He opened his mouth to answer, but he couldn't make a sound. The thought of going back to the United States so soon, having barely learned anything, made him feel sick. And it wasn't just because of the cost of the plane tickets; something was telling him to stay.

"You promised us a week. That was the agreement," said Hotch. "If we find our leads sooner than that, I will have us on the first flight back. Otherwise, I respectfully request that you honor the agreement we made the day of our departure."

Strauss was also silent again, before she sighed in exasperation.

"Do you truly feel as though your little diversion will make it possible for you to solve your case?" she asked.

"I have no doubt in my mind about it," lied Hotch.

"Very well. Your judgement and track record in the past have been spotless, so I will go along with this folly for another few days. Do not test my patience, Aaron, and stay in cell phone range at all times," she said.

"As you wish, ma'am," said Hotch.

"First thing tomorrow, I want a status update. Good night," said his boss, curtly cutting off the phone call.

Hotch sighed and took a deep breath to get his bearings, before returning to the computer lab. Everyone was hard at work, fingers flying across the keyboard as they scanned through the many records. They had very serious looks on their faces now; even the Inaba residents seemed to realize something was up.

"I got Strauss' e-mail," said Garcia. "Husband and wife this time, Huey and Donna Carlisle, both 28, of Centerville, Mississippi. Their cards already returned a freshly renewed subscription to Divinity, and I think we've already found one of Donna's toons in the guild."

"And any of our other victims?" asked Hotch.

"None to really speak of," said Garcia. "But, wouldn't you know it, all of the guilds had a big recruiting event the other day on most of the servers. And this particular guild, Nyx's Embrace? _200_ _new members_."

"Fantastic. Our victim pool just grew by a third," said Hotch.

"Yeah. So, anyway, I'm gonna get back to work. You can take a free computer if you'd like," said Garcia, running back to take the seat next to Morgan, who was typing quite slowly with only a few of his fingers.

"Is there anything we can assist you with?" asked Naoto as Dojima and the other Inaba residents took a few steps forward.

"I appreciate the help, Ms. Shirogane," said Hotch. "However, these records are confidential and we're trying to restrict it to need-to-know."

"I understand. Shall I send everyone away?" asked Naoto.

"If you don't mind, yes. We will contact you the moment we have any additional information," said Hotch.

The remaining Inaba residents left, though Rise promised to bring them tofu from her grandmothers' shop for dinner. After she left, Dojima had Naoto promise them that he'd also bring them some extra meat and other foods for those who didn't want to live off the tofu. After they left, the room was mostly silent, filled with the sound of keys tapping away. It was dull work; the scans were running slower due to the security at Divinity's servers and Yasogami's less-than-stellar connection speeds. But as the sun began to set and the halls and grounds became completely silent, they finally had a breakthrough.

"I found one of Harry Barnett's characters!" exclaimed Prentiss. "Look… he's a… uh… Level 72 Rogue-Assassin?"

"It's not maxed out?" asked Garcia, leaning over to look. "Hm. But my records show he actually played the most amongst our victims… I suppose we haven't found any of his mains yet..."

"What is max level anyway?" asked Reid.

"110 with the newest patches and expansions," said Garcia. "It's going to go up to 115 in a few weeks when they release—."

"Have we found anything else?" interrupted Rossi.

"Nothing on my end," said Akihiko, stretching and cracking his knuckles. "I'm very hungry though."

As if on cue, the doors slid open and in walked Rise and Dojima, their arms cradled with food. Walking next to Dojima was a young girl with her hair tied into two pigtails. She wore an elementary student uniform but walked with a confident air they didn't expect from one so young.

"We brought food!" said Rise, grinning.

"Thank you," said Hotch. "Sorry to make you go to all the trouble."

They moved to one of the empty tables and began to eat. The meal was fairly silent. Since only Akihiko and Rise could properly translate (and the later seemed more keen on flirting with the former than acting as translator), their conversation potential was severely limited. Garcia moved back and forth between the computers, half trying to continue her scans and half trying to scarf down the food the young girl, Nanako, put on her plate.

"I'm opening Divinity on this computer," said Garcia, walking over to the main one she'd been working on. "I'm placing my character in the Main City, to keep an ear out for any of the guild members."

"Couldn't you just have a character join the Guild?" asked Morgan.

"You've read my mind, _mi amor_," said Garcia, smirking. "I happen to have a max-level Blood Warrior who needs a home…"

"Blood Warrior…? You…?" said Prentiss.

"Sometimes a girl's just gotta stab the aggression out," said Garcia. "A good tanking is great for the soul."

Hotch sighed and tried to focus on his food again. But his mind was moving too quickly, so much so that it was making him feel a little ill. He had kept his cool about the television world, but now, as his thoughts returned to the hallucinations of the Velvet Room, Strauss's warnings, and the explanation the Inaba residents had given him, nothing seemed to make sense of it.

"We're quite out of our element in this one," muttered Reid. "This goes beyond building a profile and finding an UnSub. We're dealing with things that are just… impossible."

"I have no idea how we're going to explain this to the newscasters when we get back," said J.J., sighing. "I typically don't wish harm, of course, but the massive storms all over the country are a blessing right now. It's keeping them all busy so that they don't have to report on the murders."

"That may be our only stroke of luck in this entire investigation so far, besides finding the symbol of that Guild," Prentiss said.

They spotted Dojima and Nanako's confused looks and ceased their conversation. Rise and Akihiko also watched the BAU residents closely as they discussed the cases, but either couldn't think of anything to contribute or didn't feel it was their place to speak. From behind them, they heard Garcia gasp.

"I'm gonna get in! I found one of their officers! I'm running a scan on his name as we speak but—."

"That's awesome… I think," said Prentiss running over to stand behind Garcia. "How long does it take to join a Guild?"

"Just waiting for my invite and… there! I'm in!" Garcia cried, punching her fist in the air.

A bright flash erupted from the computer, with a loud blast. Everyone in the computer lab screamed and jumped up or back from the computer. The blinding light continued to surround them, a tangible presence that started to pull them forward. With cries, they felt themselves falling again, straight down into a shimmering tube, surrounded by silver wires that spun all around them.

They slammed hard on the ground, grunts and cries of pain filling the area as each person it. Hotch was one of the first to recover. Morgan, J.J., and Akihiko were already standing and glancing around the place they were stuck in. Reid, Prentiss, Rossi, and Dojima were struggling to their feet, while Garcia, Rise, and Nanako were groaning and whimpering from the painful positions they'd landed in when they fell.

"Not again… we fell into a damn _computer_ now?" said Morgan, massaging his shoulder.

"This… this isn't right…" said Rise, her voice more easily understandable again. "This isn't the same world… it feels different…"

There wasn't a fog in this world, but the lights around them were so bright that it was still almost impossible to see. It was as if the sun was shining down directly on them from every direction in the sky above. They were standing on a metal surface crisscrossed with a pattern of wires, and Hotch could have sworn that he saw still more bunches and bundles of wires stretching across the sky. But, due to the brightness, it was hard to say.

"I can't see anything," said Reid, shielding his eyes with his hands.

"Guys… I have an insanely bad feeling about this," said Garcia, her legs visibly shaking. "I don't like where this is going at all…"

"Something's coming…" muttered Rise, frowning and putting her hands to her forehead. "I… I can feel a source of power nearby…"

The bright sky above them began to dim to more manageable levels. The BAU members each withdrew their guns, and they saw Dojima follow suit soon after. Nanako hid behind Rise, who was still trying to focus, as though trying to see through the ground as to where the thing she was so worried about was coming from.

At their feet, they saw what looked like black particles of light gathering together. As they grew together, they became a black puddle on the wire-patterned ground, and from that puddle, black figures rose up. The BAU members watched in horror as, from the puddle, a huge figure grew up and out.

"No… Shadows…" muttered Rise.

"Did you just say Shadows?" asked Akihiko, whirling around in shock.

"Yes… they're dangerous… we have to get out of here…" said Rise.

Everyone seemed to be in too much shock to move. The shadow's form solidified into a tall mechanical device. It had human legs growing out of the bottom, which were attached to two wheel-like devices, while two long, sharp swords stuck out of the beast on either said. It let out a loud, mechanical roar as the machine started to spin, using its legs to awkwardly walk forward.

"Hotch, what do we do?" cried J.J.

Hotch stared at him, and glanced at his team. The monster, the Shadow as Rise and Akihiko called it, stopped and turned its masked face towards them. It let out another yell, and used its wheeled legs to come towards them, as the shimmering sky above them dimmed to barely a glow.

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you again for reading and for your patience with my slow updates.**


	5. Chapter 5: Trigger

**Author's Note:**

**What? Action sequences? An update less within two months? A Wizard Did It.**

Chapter 5: Trigger

The charging creature began to spin wildly as it approached. Everyone scattered out of the way until the creature was in a circle, surrounded by the BAU members, Akihiko, and the Inaba residents. Hotch took out his gun, as did the others. The creature idled there for a moment, shaking and grunting, before spinning wildly at Morgan.

"_Shit!_" he snarled, firing at the monster.

The bullets hit the thing, but they didn't seem to do any damage. The monster continued to advance on him, spinning around wildly. Morgan barely dove out of the way in time as one of the blades sliced through where his head had been only moments before.

"Morgan!" cried Garcia, starting to run forward. She was restrained by Rise.

"Those beings… we fought them before; they're Shadows!" cried Rise. "Your bullets won't work on it! I can sense it!"

"How do you know?" shouted Prentiss, watching as the machine returned to the center of the group. "If we can't use our guns, then how do we defeat it?"

"I know how…" said Akihiko, rushing forward. "Everyone, fall back. I can handle this."

He took out a gun, but it wasn't the same gun he'd gotten from the FBI. It was a silver-metallic color and seemed to have more of a square barrel on it. To their horror, they watched as Akihiko put the gun to his head. Rise gasped.

"You… your power… you mean you have a Persona?" cried Rise.

"That's right," said Akihiko, turning to grin at her with the gun on his head. "I assume you do too; how else would you know about the Sh—."

"_WATCH OUT AKIHIKO!_" cried J.J. suddenly.

The monster had taken the brief distraction to start spinning even quicker than it had previously spun. Akihiko, caught off guard, fell back just as the creature made contact with him, the blade hitting him blunt side in his neck and knocking him backwards. He grunted as he fell to the ground, the gun sliding out of his hands. It came to rest at Hotch's feet.

Everything seemed to go dim for Hotch. He looked at the gun, and at the monstrous creature, now bearing down on Dojima, Nanako, and J.J. He saw Morgan, Rossi, and Prentiss start to fire at it again, though their guns were silent. He saw Rise screaming at them, waving her arms with tears of fear and frustration in her eyes. He saw Reid and Garcia rushing to Akihiko's side, where blood swiftly poured from a wound on his neck.

"You know what you have to do, don't you?" came the calm, creepy voice.

Hotch turned and found himself in the Velvet Room once again. It was the same; the atmosphere of the plane, with the purplish curtains over the windows and the strange particles of light moving past the windows. And, of course, Igor sat behind his covered table, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Hotch as he folded his hands calmly on the table.

"What are you talking about?" asked Hotch, angrily. "Why did you pull me here at a time like this? My team is in danger!"

"Indeed," said Igor, chuckling. "Time is a funny thing, you see… it never ends its unyielding march, yet the pace at which it steps can vary heavily from one world to another."

"What do you mean?" asked Hotch.

"You have heeded the call within you," said Igor, ignoring the question. "Open your ears to your soul, and feel the will of that which is within side you."

Hotch, felt his heart pounding in his ears. At the same time, he felt something deep in his chest. He placed his hand to his heart and felt a certain warmness radiating from beneath his fingers. As he focused on it, he could feel it flowing through his veins, stretching all across his body, right down to his arms and legs.

"Yes…" he heard Igor's voice. "Your power is about to awaken…"

"_Thou art I…_"

"All you need to do," said Igor. "Is find the proper way to release it."

"_And I am thou…_"

"And just how do I do that?" asked Hotch, the feeling growing more and more in his body, as though trying to escape through his skin.

"_The time has come; let me be released…_"

"Oh… I'm sure you'll think of _something_…" said Igor with a chuckle. "Farewell."

Hotch opened his eyes and found the chaotic scene in front of him was just as it had been left. The monster was even closer to Dojima, J.J., and Nanako, and both Morgan and Prentiss were trying to run at the monster, as though attempting to beat it into submission. Hotch glanced down at Akihiko's gun, and picked it up. The metal felt especially cool in his hands, and the power in his body quivered as he picked it up.

He wasn't exactly sure why he put the gun to his temple, but suddenly it was there. And, somehow, it felt right. Everything seemed to slow down, the sounds of the chaos around him becoming distorted. He saw Garcia staring at him in absolute horror, her lips forming a silent scream to his name. He saw Morgan and Rossi turn from the monster, to run at him, their eyes full of terror and confusion.

And, facing this entire scene before him, Hotch smiled.

"Per… so… na…" he muttered, as his finger depressed the trigger.

The shot rang out around the area as everyone seemed to freeze. He felt something shoot through his head, bursting out the other side. He felt the power in his body rushing out of him, as though through a hole in his head. The essence of whatever was in his body spun around him, like a thousand shards of broken glass. It began to form around him, as something emerged from his body, rising higher and higher into the sky.

"_Thou art I, and I am thou. From the seal of thy soul, I commeth. I am Odin, Father of the Gods!_" growled the being, as it solidified.

Hotch, lightheaded, stared at the being that rose up above him. The face looked vaguely like him, though the glowing blue eyes and golden, horned helmet were new. He held an enormous spear in his right arm, his left arm raised with the palm out. A billowing cloak flowed out behind him, revealing a metallic armor that covered almost all of his body, only his feet bare.

The monster stopped spinning towards Dojima, Nanako, and J.J. when it sensed the presence around Hotch. It seemed to recognize the larger threat, and, instead, spun towards the being that had erupted out of Hotch.

"Watch out, Hotch!" cried Garcia.

The monster became surrounded by what looked like sparks of electricity. It froze in place and spun even more quickly, releasing the volts. From above, and for a split second, Hotch saw a bolt of lightning striking down on him.

**FFZZZ-BANG!**

The huge thing that had grown out of Hotch raised his hand and blocked the electricity, so that it struck all around him instead of going straight through him. Hotch immediately looked back at the spinning monster, which was revving itself up to physically strike Hotch.

"_Do you wish to destroy this monstrosity?"_ asked a voice in Hotch's ear.

"Yes," replied Hotch. "How do I do it?"

"_I am your Persona. An extension of you. I fight alongside you. You must search inside yourself and unlock my power… I can only do as you command…_" muttered the voice. Hotch was startled to realize it sounded like himself, only deeper and echoed.

He began to run towards the monster, raising his own hand. The creature mimicked him, rushing forward and raising the arm with the spear in it. He ran forward and, as if throwing a javelin, hurled his arm up and around. His Persona followed suit, and the spear he was holding flew through the air and crashed into the monster. It dented it, but the important thing was it knocked the monster off-balance.

"Now's your chance!" cried another voice.

Hotch whirled around and was shocked to see Rise standing there. Behind her stood a woman with an antenna of sorts growing out of her face. The bars stuck up and down. Those standing around here were giving her a wide berth, their eyes locked on the thing that had probably just burst forth from inside her as well.

"The enemy is down! Get him, Agent!" cried Rise.

Hotch turned back to the monster and began to focus the power inside of him. Above him, the Persona followed suit. He held his hands together and raised his arms skyward. Around him, as had occurred with the monster, tiny sparks began to grow around him. As the power grew stronger, Hotch focused his hands together, holding them out towards the Shadow.

"… _Zio…_" and once more Hotch felt the words slip out of him, almost unconsciously.

A bolt of electricity struck the Shadow right in its center, and it gave a loud cry as it exploded back into the black orbs of power they'd seen it form from. Around them, the sky above got slightly brighter. As the last orbs disappeared, a hush fell over the room. Until a very excited Rise rushed forward.

"You did it, Agent Hotchner!" she cried, jumping up and down. "That was incredible! I haven't seen someone handle a Persona that well in ages!"

"A Persona? Is that… what it's called?" asked Hotch, his head spinning.

"Yeah," said Rise. "It's sort of… a part of us. And we use it to fight. Well… mine is more for support, I guess, but all of us involved in the case have one. Me, Youske-senpai, Teddie, Yukiko-senpai, Chie-senpai, Yu-senpai, Naoto, and even Kanji."

"This power, then… it's something I can call when I need to?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah… but… we should check on Akihiko," said Rise, turning.

Akihiko was sitting up, stemming the blood flow from his neck, grimacing in pain as Garcia tried to dab at it with a handkerchief. The rest of Hotch's team were staring at him in the now-familiar shock and awe they'd been perpetually stuck in since he'd announced their surprise trip to Japan.

"Hotch… what was that, man?" asked Morgan in a small voice.

"That was unreal…" said Prentiss, weakly.

"I am thankful you were able to… you know… do whatever that was," said Rossi. "It saved Nanako, J.J., and Inspector Dojima…"

"That… thing, what did you call it, a Persona?" asked Reid, looking Hotch over as though looking to see if it was hiding inside him somewhere. "What did it say? Anything…?"

"His name was Odin, apparently…" said Hotch.

"From Norse Mythology… the father of the Gods," said Reid, immediately. "And the affinity for electricity might have just been explained…"

"Unreal…" was all J.J. could manage. "But we have to get Akihiko to a hospital; that wound is—."

"Believe me," said Akihiko, standing up. "I've had worse fighting these Shadows. Plus I know how to fix this. Agent Hotchner, may I see my Evoker please?"

"Oh, the gun? Here…" said Hotch. "Thanks… er… for letting me use it I guess."

"Yeah… stand back everyone, it's been a while since I've done this…" said Akihiko.

He held the gun to his face and fired it before anyone could react. Around him, the same power that had erupted out of Hotch came, and the glass-like shards rose up to form a human-like figure that held a small model of the globe in one hand and a sword in the other. Akihiko's Persona raised the hand with the world in it, and a flash of bright light surrounded Akihiko. When it dissipated, they saw the wound on his neck had closed up, barely leaving a scratch.

"If I hadn't been seeing this with my own eyes, I'd've thought this was the biggest production of Punk'd ever," said Morgan, his hands raised up and holding the back of his head in confusion.

"But… um… shouldn't we be trying to get out of here?" asked Garcia, looking around.

They all looked around. As far as they could see, the sky swirled with strange, light particles, though the sky was crisscrossed with bunches of wires that went out in all directions, disappearing into the distant lights. The metallic ground they stood on stretched out in every direction as well.

"Which way do we go?" asked Dojima, his arm protectively around Nanako.

"I think we should go this way," said Rise. "I sense a sort of power coming from that direction."

She began to lead the group off into the light. Hotch didn't realize just how fatigued he felt until they'd been walking for a few minutes. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears every step he took, and the air around him felt thick and heavy, as if he was trying to pull himself through wet cement.

"Hotch, you okay?" asked Prentiss.

"Just a bit tired…" muttered Hotch. "Don't be concerned…"

"It's probably a side-effect of your Persona," said Akihiko. "Summoning for the first time takes a toll on your body. The more you do it, the more you get used to it."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes, everyone looking for some sort of exit. The world they were in was eerily silent, save for a small humming coming from somewhere above them. The wires were far too high for them to reach, though the particles that floated through the sky occasionally would float lazily down past them as they made their way forward.

"I have another bad feeling…" muttered Garcia suddenly.

She had no sooner said that than the ground began to rattle, shaking enough to knock everyone off balance. The black particles grew out of the ground and solidified into a new shape. This one was of two floating, robed figures… with 3 enormous poles skewering them together. Their masks were blue and they let out a high-pitched, sinister cackle as they spun around, surrounding themselves in a blue light.

"Shit…" muttered Akihiko, taking out his evoker again. He called forth his persona, but the violent strike of lightning didn't do anything to the creature, which just cackled and spun around viciously at him, the legs of one of the twins kicking him in the chest and knocking him backward.

"Catch!" shouted Akihiko, throwing the gun to Hotch as he rolled out of the way of another attack from the monsters.

Hotch held the gun to his head and, hesitating only momentarily, pulled the trigger again. Odin appeared, already focusing his electric power. He tried to strike at the monsters, but, again, they surrounded themselves with the blue barrier of protection, cackling as the electricity bounced off them.

"Electric attacks won't work on them! Stop trying!" cried Rise, who had brought out her Persona again. "Can't you guys use fire?"

"_Our affinity is not of that element… our only strength is that of the electric_," came the voice of Odin in Hotch's ear.

"Things don't look very good for you, do they?" asked the irritatingly creepy voice in Hotch's other ear.

Again Hotch found himself in the Velvet Room. Igor was leering up at him, his hands folded just under his behemoth beak. Several cards sat on the table, many of which were face-down. The only one face up, the one in the middle, showed a picture of a king holding a scepter and staring taciturnly out at them. Beneath the picture, Hotch could make out the word "Emperor."

"What do you recommend we do?" asked Hotch, trying to calm himself down. _Igor probably had slowed down time in his regular world if he was randomly brought here in the middle of battle…_

"Many of the guests who enter our room are of the Wild Card, indicating their potential to be completely unlimited. Our previous few guests were all able to summon multiple personas from all across the realm of the arcana… but you are different," said Igor.

"Different?" asked Hotch.

"That is correct," said Igor, nodding. "Your power is great; rarely can anyone summon the powerful Odin on their first try. However, your strength is in that you don't alter your ways for anyone, nor anything. This tenacity has garnered you great power at the cost of versatility. It is the tradeoff."

"So I can't beat that thing?" asked Hotch.

"Not alone…" said Igor, indicating the table in front of him. Arranged around the Emperor card were several other cards, face down. Igor moved his hand carefully over one and it began to glow, turning over slowly. The space in the center was blank, but below where the picture should have been, Hotch read the words, "Chariot."

"Those who you have bonds with will nurture their own power, complimenting that of your own," said Igor. "And through your journey, you will all grow closer… and stronger."

Hotch blinked and found himself back on the battlefield. His team had their guns drawn and they were looking to their leader for guidance. The twins floated eerily in the center of the group. Hotch's eyes swept the group and their Inaba comrades. Shooting guns wouldn't be safe the way they were spread out; if those things were able to block or deflect, it might hit one of them.

"Hotch! Your orders?" cried Prentiss.

"Do any of you… feel a power in your chest? A warmth of any sort?" asked Hotch, struggling to remember what was happening.

"Hotch, what are you-?" began Prentiss, confused.

"Wait… wait, yeah, I… I feel it," said Morgan, his hand over his heart. "How did you know…?"

"Take this!" shouted Hotch, throwing the Evoker to Morgan. "Point it to your head and point the trigger."

"Are you out of your mind?" cried Morgan. "You want me to shoot myself in the head?"

"Only with the Evoker!" said Akihiko, standing forward of the main circle to draw the floating twins' attention to himself. "Not with the real gun!"

"You've gotta be fu—," Morgan said, but then he stopped, his eyes sliding out of focus momentarily. He gasped and looked around, as though looking for something. Hotch saw the beads of sweat pouring out of his face and he instantly knew what was going on inside of him.

"It's okay. Trust me, Derek," said Hotch. "They won't hurt you…"

Morgan gulped, nodded, and placed the gun squarely at his temple. He hesitated. The skewered twin shadows stopped and seemed to sense the power growing out of him. They whirled around and, ignoring Akihiko, spun for Morgan.

"WATCH OUT!" wailed Garcia, her hands at her throat.

"Persona!" snarled Morgan, pulling the trigger.

His whole body jerked with the impact of the invisible bullet to his head. The aura and shattered bits of Morgan's apparent spirit flew around him, rising above him as he gave off a blue glow. Materializing above him was a dark-skinned warrior, dressed in a metallic breastplate with the words F.B.I. printed across it. A Greco-Roman helmet adorned his head, with a feather of flames growing out of the top. The enemy held a sword behind him in a rear guard.

"Holy cow…" muttered Reid.

Morgan seemed shell-shocked for a few moments as he glanced up at the Persona floating above him. It stared at Morgan, as though speaking to him, and Morgan looked forward to the twins, a new determination in his eyes. He raised his right arm and pointed at the right twin, which hurled itself through the air at him. The Persona also raised its sword, pointing at the creature. A burst of flame erupted around the Shadow, incinerating it.

The other creature, apparently unhappy about seeing its partner destroyed in such a manner, gave another eerie wail and began to spin very quickly, surrounded by some sort of energy. Morgan ran forward with a snarl and his Persona followed suit, the sword cutting swiftly through the air. It bisected the twins and they faded into the black auras of death with a mournful cry. Morgan's Persona floated above him for a short time before finally disappearing, the light around him dissipating.

"You weren't kidding, Hotch," said Morgan, bent over and breathing heavily. "That takes a lot out of you."

"You'll be better once we get out of here," said Rise. "What was his name?"  
>"He called himself Ares," said Morgan.<p>

"The Greek God of War," said Reid, immediately. "That apparently is the other side of you."

"A fierce fighter, that's for sure," said Prentiss.

"And very fitting for my prince of justice," said Garcia.

Morgan and Hotch looked at each other. As the only BAU members who had thus far experienced their own Persona awakenings, they felt a certain bond between each other. Morgan stood up and wiped the sweat off of his forehead. Another minor pause went through the group as they wondered which way to go. After a short while, Rise continued to lead them forward. Hotch took a few steps forward and heard a low chuckle behind him.

"Your partner has amazing power himself, Agent Hotchner," said Igor, smiling. "Though his may require further focus…"

Back in the Velvet Room again, Hotch saw Igor, holding out the Chariot card. Its original picture had been superimposed with a picture of Ares on it; he could see that the Emperor card had Odin on it as well. He was also a little surprised to see five other cards floating around Igor's head, each glowing brightly but still blank. He could see various words written on them: Priestess, Hierophant, Star, Temperance, and Hermit.

"I assume, then, that the rest of my team also have Persona?" asked Hotch.

"You would be correct," said Igor. "Their powers will be unlocked as you continue to explore this world you've discovered. On your way to discovering the truth of the mystery you seek to solve."

"Thank you," said Hotch, extending his hand.

Igor chuckled, shaking Hotch's hand with his thin, gloved hand. "It's not often I'm thanked for my part, but it is appreciated. Now, then, I will return you to your world. Until we meet again…"

Hotch blinked and found himself walking along with Morgan, who was looking down at his feet as he walked, examining Akihiko's Evoker curiously. Rise and Prentiss lead the way, with Garcia and Reid walking behind, chatting animatedly about the world around them and the Personas. Dojima and Rossi were also in deep discussions, with the former keeping his arm protectively around the shoulders of his daughter. J.J. lagged behind the group, watching their rear to make sure they weren't ambushed.

"So, Hotch…" said Morgan. "Did you… hear voices…? With your power…?"

"Yeah," said Hotch. "Apparently it's normal. In fact, I've heard several types."

"That's insane… heh. Says the guy who also just shot himself in the head and had a God jump out of his chest," said Morgan grinning. "Don't let the voices get to you."

"Believe it or not," said Hotch. "I'd rather listen to both of them than Strauss any day of the week."

**Author's Note**

**Originally going to be longer, but I didn't want to overload everyone's first summons in the first chapter that we actually see Personae. Hope you enjoyed it; much much much more to come!**


	6. Chapter 6: Challenge

**Author's Note:**

**Happy New Year! That is all.**

Chapter Six: Challenge

"Persona!" screamed Prentiss, her arm trembling lightly as she pulled the trigger.

The group was widely separated. These new Shadows, balls of red-and-black stripes with enormous, dripping tongues swarmed around them. Prentiss had been examining the Evoker when it had happened and she was cut off by the swarm, which had begun to close in around her.

From her shattered psyche emerged a creature cloaked in a hooded, jet black robe, face hidden except for the eyes by a white mask with a half-smile, half-frown. Prentiss stared up and back at her Persona, even as one of the long-tongued shadows slammed headlong into her, knocking her backwards. Her persona soared down to put itself between Prentiss and the Shadow. Prentiss gingerly felt her jaw, a streak of blood flowing from her mouth.

"You son of a bitch," she snarled.

Her Persona dove forward at the Shadow that hit her. Its robe whipped around it as the Persona was surrounded by a light blue aura. The Shadow in front of Prentiss was torn apart by ice as it swooped in for a second attack. She turned to see the other Shadows beginning to break off and dive for different people. One headed for Garcia, Dojima, and Nanko.

"NO!" snarled Prentiss, running toward the others, drawing her gun as she did so.

Behind her, the Persona was surrounded, yet again, by the aura. This time, every Shadow in the area was encased briefly in a chunk of ice, which shattered and destroyed each one with their mournful cry. Prentiss stopped in her tracks, awestruck. She looked to Hotch, blood still flowing from her mouth.

"Are you okay?" asked Reid as he rushed forward, Morgan right behind him.

"Yeah…" said Prentiss, vaguely. "A… a little dizzy…"

She sank to her knees, trying to stem the blood flow with her hand. Akihiko walked over to take the Evoker from her once again, calling out Caesar to repair the damage to her mouth. Prentiss thanked him and stood up, as the group came to stand together in the center.

"What was your Persona called?" asked an interested Garcia.

"She said her name was… Apate, I think?" said Emily, furrowing her brow.

"Ah…" said Reid. "The personification of deceit born forth from Pandora's box, daughter of Nyx…"

"Yeah, well, given my disappearing act for those few months, I suppose I deserve it," said Prentiss, rolling her eyes.

"So that makes the three of you with Personas as well," said Rise.

"I have a feeling we all have the capability," said Hotch. "It may not have manifested itself in all of us yet."

Reid, J.J., Rossi, and Garcia all stared at him, then to Morgan and Prentiss, and then to each other. Their faces were masks of confusion. Garcia's, however, changed as she thought for a moment.

"You know what's just really strange about this…" she muttered. "It's convenient. Everyone seems to be obtaining their powers, their Personas, at just the right moment."

"So?" asked Morgan.

"I noticed that too, actually," said J.J. "I thought it might be coincidence at first, but…"

"I think this is more like… a tutorial in a game," said Garcia.

"Come again?" asked Prentiss.

"No, listen… see, when you play games, you always have the beginning section where the battles are easier, so you can learn to control your characters and your fighting and all of that," said Garcia. "So far, we just happen to have met those… those Shadow Monsters that are vulnerable to the attacks of the Person who learned to Summon."

"And when others try to interfere… it doesn't go so well," said Akihiko.

"So you think this world is letting us awaken our powers, one-by-one?" asked Morgan. "How does it know?"

"This realm is probably created by the minds of humans," said Rise. "Sort of… a window into the hearts of others. Except it's in the computer this time… I… it's really hard to explain. Yu-senpai could probably say it better…"

"Dojima, you haven't really said much," said Hotch. "Do you have any thoughts on this situation?"

"I… I never entered that other world the kids keep talking about, back when everything was happening," said Dojima. "That was when I was injured, after Nanako was kidnapped."

"Yeah," said Nanako, quietly. "This world… it feels different, though…"

"Different?" asked Hotch.

"It's hard to explain… I can see here," said Nanako. "In the other world, the one Big Bro and his friends saved me from, I couldn't see anything. It was so foggy."

"And here we've just got a lot of sky wires and distant glimmer," said Prentiss, looking around.

"Let's keep moving," said Rise. "I… I think we're going in the right direction."

"But stay alert. Especially the four of you with no Personas yet," said Hotch. "If any of you feel a pressure, sort of a heat in your chest, let me know the moment it happens."

They walked in silence for a few more minutes. Suddenly J.J. stopped and placed her hand on her heart. Reid, his frowning, did the same.

"I feel it, Hotch," said J.J.

"I do too," said Reid. "Like something is trying to sort of push its way out…"

"Something's coming," said Rise and Garcia at the same time, whirling around.

"They were hardly surprised when, from the ground, two Shadows appeared. One, a cross with weights balanced on either end, hovered above the ground as it slowly made its way forward. The other, a spinning book encased in a circle of strange shadow energy, seemed to cackle as it flew through the air.

"S-should I go first or you?" asked Reid.

J.J. glanced at him, and her eyes widened as she looked at the Evoker in Reid's hands. Prentiss and Morgan twitched as though they wanted to rush forward and help, but the hung back. Like everyone else, they wanted to see if their theory was right. Reid held the gun half out towards J.J., but neither seemed ready or willing to pull the trigger just then. The cross and the book sensed their hesitation and both began to gather a green-colored energy around them.

"Someone shoot!" shouted Morgan.

**BANG**.

J.J.'s blonde hair whipped around her as she stood with the smoking Evoker clutched in her hand. The Shadow let off a gust of wind around her and Reid, but her Persona seemed to take the brunt of the impact, which gave Reid enough time to scramble to his feet. The cross with the weights began to gather energy around it again, but before it could do anything at all, Reid wrestled the Evoker from J.J.'s outstretched hand. He put it shakily to his temple and pulled the trigger.

There was a rush of black shadow and in the center, a rune with a Japanese symbol appeared on it. The black shadow rose in a fog and with a dark flash it crashed in on itself. But Reid's Persona, let out its own flash of light, which disintegrated the darkness.

"Woah… look at that," muttered Prentiss faintly.

J.J.'s Persona floated above Reid and her, a winged crown and a willowy gown thrown over golden plated armor whipping in the air as she gazed silently at the Shadows before her. In her arms, she clutched a shield with what looked like a baby on the front. Below her, hopping around in front of the two agents, was Reid's Persona: a tall creature with the head of a baboon (though with Reid's haircut), an ankh in one hand, and a stack of books balanced underneath his arm. He fixed his gaze on the shadows before them.

"Ma…garu…" they heard J.J. whisper.

A blast of green wind tore through the two Shadows. The cross seemed to block it, but the floating death book was torn to shreds. Reid took a few tentative steps forward, his Persona following suit.

"Hama," said Reid, his voice a little clearer and stronger than J.J.'s.

A yellow glyph appeared on the center of the Shadow before him and a shimmering card appeared out of nowhere. With a brilliant flash of light this time, the Shadow disappeared, as torn pieces of the golden light card fell to the ground where the Shadow had been. Around them, the sky got brighter; the engagement was at an end.

"Good team work, guys," said Rise. "I didn't even have to tell you their weaknesses!"

"Yeah, that was impressive. Though… a monkey Reid? Really?" asked Morgan, chuckling as he helped up his friend.

"Thoth, if you must know… sometimes he has the head of an ibis," muttered Reid, massaging his temples.

"Which is?" asked Morgan.

"A bird with a long beak," muttered Reid, sighing.

"Mine… she said her name was Frigga, I think," J.J. said, though she seemed to be having even more trouble standing than Reid. "Whatever that Shadow hit me with was pretty strong…"

"That dark attack you saw is one you have to be very careful with," said Rise, seriously. "It can wipe you out in one shot if you're not careful. Reid-san used a light version of the same kind of… well… attack."

"That just leaves you, Rossi," said Prentiss.

"And me!" said Garcia, pouting.

"You're gonna fight with us, huh Princess?" asked Morgan, grinning.

"W-we'll see," muttered Garcia. "I think I can… you know… fight… things…"

"We're getting close to the exit, I think…" said Rise. "Follow me…"

They walked on. Nothing really seemed to be changing around them, apart from the color of the metal floor. It was becoming redder by the moment. Finally, Rise stopped them and she and Garcia glanced to the right. Out of the sky came a dozen Shadows: golden dice from the looks of things. Everyone who already had a Persona took a few steps forward but Rossi held up his right hand to stop them; his left was on his chest.

"My turn," he said, simply.

He took the Evoker from Akihiko and took a few steps toward the oncoming mob. He grinned, placed the gun to his temple, and fired. From above him burst forth a dark figure on a horse. He held an enormous bow in front of him, which was aimed straight above the approaching Shadows. The Persona pulled the arrow all the way back and fired. It disappeared into the shimmering sky above and, suddenly, hundreds of smaller arrows rained down from above. One by one, each Shadow was destroyed, until they stopped coming all together. The sky brightened up quickly, leaving everyone in a brief moment of stunned silence.

"His… his power… he was the strongest of all of you," muttered Rise.

"Yeah… he did it without even breaking a sweat," said J.J.

"That… was quite impressive. Not… not that the rest of you weren't or anything," Dojima said, quickly. "But… wow."

"What was his name?" asked Nanako, awestruck.

"Krotos," said Rossi. "He seems to be gifted with hunting."

"Fitting," said Hotch, striding forward and taking the Evoker back from his partner. "So, Ms. Kujikawa, which way to the exit?"

"It should be right over here," said Rise.

They walked forward, but nothing seemed to really change about the area. Suddenly, the sky got darker than it had before, and a chilling wind blew through the area. Above them, a voice even colder than the wind began to speak.

_**"You have done well to reach this point… your worth has nearly been proven. Best this fight and you will be able to leave this world… if that is what you desire," **_said the voice, cackling.

"Show yourself!" cried Hotch.

_**"I have not time to show myself to those who are unproven. But my pets will certainly keep you company…"**_ replied the voice.

Around them, orbs of Shadow began to rise straight out of the ground. They were quickly surrounded as the Shadows began to form. There were dozens of them: lions and tigers; the dancers and the machines; floating rain clouds and eerie fish; dice and corrupted police; and a plethora of others. Rise quickly summoned her Persona, but it wasn't long before she began to panic.

"I can't… I can't keep track of them all! There's too many!" she cried. "And… and your Personas… I can't read them as well as I can read the others…!"

"Damn… what are we going to do?" said Morgan, drawing his gun.

"Give me the gun," said Garcia, suddenly.

"What? My pistol?" asked Morgan.

"No, darling, I mean the Evoker. Mama's got a heartburn and the only cure is more… shooting myself in the face, apparently," she said, taking the Evoker Hotch handed her.

She put it to her forehead and, her arms shaking horribly, slowly squeezed the trigger. As it fired, she let out a frightened squeal, but the power began to rise around and encase her as well. The Evoker clattered to the ground as her hands were wrapped in a multitude of colored wires that extended up and around her, making a sparking web of wires that mimicked the sky above them. They all connected to a tall figure with a dozen hands. It had no real face; much like Himiko, its face seemed to be the pastel-colored monitors held in the bedazzled hands, which the wires wrapped around Garcia were connected to. Garcia grinned.

"Piece of cake," she said. "Better follow my directions to the letter, though. I am now your Glorious Commander."

"We're counting on ya, babygirl," said Morgan, picking up the Evoker. "Let's do this."

There was a frantic passing of the Evoker around as everyone summoned back out their Personas. Odin, Thoth, Krotos, Frigga, Apate, Ares, and Caesar joined Himiko and Garcia's Persona, while Dojima and Nanako hid in the center of the mess, next to Garcia.

"They've split themselves pretty evenly…" said Garcia. "They're trying to confuse me with all of their weaknesses and their strengths… but don't worry, I'll have them sorted in a moment."

The Shadows sensed something was up as they began to get agitated. Some would feint towards the group, testing their prey to see what it would do. Reid and Prentiss both jumped a couple of times, as if to attack, but everyone held steady. After a few moments, Garcia let out a loud chuckle.

"It's a pattern," she said. "I'm displaying it on my monitors now… aim your attacks at the color coded lines."

Hotch left the line and walked over to where Garcia stood entangled in her Persona. One of the monitors above her head held a moving 3-D model of the battlefield with target lines and directions for attack that were, indeed, color coded based on weaknesses. The screen next to that showed pictures of everyone, showing their general health and "spirit," whatever that meant, and a third monitor kept a constantly-refreshing list of enemies on the front lines. Hotch memorized his order of attack and returned to the front line.

"This is weird… the Shadows seem to be waiting for you all to get ready," said Rise. "I sense… danger, so to speak, but they're obviously waiting and being restrained…"

"He's testing us, whoever this guy is," said Reid, who spent a grand total of 5 seconds looking at the monitors before he had it all memorized.

"We'll show him he can't test the BAU," said Morgan. "That's our job."

"Okay everyone ready? GO!" cried Garcia.

The moment she screamed the last word, the Shadows lurched forward in swarms. However, Hotch, Prentiss, Reid, Akihiko, and J.J. let loose a flurry of their elemental multi-targeting attacks, and the numbers instantly began to thin out. They leapt back and allowed Morgan and Rossi to spring forward. Another arrow sent skyward wiped out another chunk of the smaller enemies, while Morgan rushed one of the largest Shadows: a wrestler with a Hulk Hogan appearance. Ares swung his sword down through, leaving a trail of fire which exploded on contact with the Shadow.

"Good job, mi amor! But watch out, you're gonna get targeted with an ice attack!" said Garcia.

Morgan had just enough time to leap backward before a shard of ice exploded up and around where he and his Persona had been standing. Garcia ordered J.J. and Prentiss to sweep in on the right to disrupt a wave of the Maya-class monsters, while she had Hotch, Akihiko, and Morgan focus on the large lions and tigers on the left. Reid, meanwhile, was asked to stay towards the center, back-up of sorts for any that escaped. Rossi spammed his arrow attack until he found enemies immune to it.

"That tall robot-looking monster: what's his weakness?" asked Rossi.

Garcia let out a sarcastic laugh. "Weakness. Yeah. He doesn't have one. He's immune to light and dark… oh, good, and he resists literally everything. Save him for last, everyone's going to need to focus on him."

"He's not going to give us that opportunity, though," said Reid, suddenly. "He seems to be charging an attack."

"It'll be fine, I told you: follow my directions," said Garcia.

The tall robot Shadow twirled the sword roughly in front of him. A wave of red energy exploded around him, but it then took a defensive stance, unmoving. It seemed Garcia's plan was right. Hotch kept his eye on his teammates. He trusted Garcia's powers and intellect, but he could also sense her getting distracted as she handed out orders.

"Behind you, Garcia!" cried Hotch.

Garcia gasped, but wasn't able to move due to her Persona being so tied down. One of the floating books had snuck up behind her and was casting some sort of spell. Reid dove in front of her and took the hit, a major explosion of flame that sent him flying to her feet.

"Reid's hurt!" she wailed.

"I… I can handle that," said J.J., diving out of the way of a secondary attack from one of the spinning fish.

Frigga waved her hands gently over Reid, leaving a trail of wispy clouds as she did. The clouds slowly soaked into Reid's body and flashed a bright blue on his body. Reid stood, groaned, and gingerly felt his face and shoulders. They seemed to have been healed just fine.

"That's J.J.," he said.

"Reid, I'm so sorry!" cried Gracia. "I'll… I'll focus more…"

She redoubled her efforts, her voice shaking with anger as she commanded a roaring rampage of retaliation on the Shadows. One by one, following Garcia's careful directions, each Shadow was defeated. The giant robot, at one point, spun his sword and was surrounded by the electric shock of blue energy, but, yet again, he didn't attack. Garcia urged them to ignore the Shadow until she told them to attack.

Finally, as the last of the rain clouds was shot down by Caesar and Odin, Garcia told them it was tine for the final battle. The giant robot swung its sword at them, beckoning them to attack. The new Persona users stood shoulder to shoulder, each breathing heavily, but surprisingly less fatigued than earlier. The summoning was getting easier for them.

"He's powerful. I can sense he's charged up everything he possibly can… you all have to really watch yourselves. And… if you can… weaken him," she said.

"I… this may sound crazy," said Akihiko, suddenly. "But does anyone have a Persona who says it can function with Tarunda, Rakunda, or Sukunda?"

"Me," said Prentiss. "Apate can do all three,"

"Excellent," he said. "Those weaken its defenses."

"Are there any we can use to strengthen our own?" asked Reid.

"Tarukaja, Rakukaja, Sukukaja," said Akihiko.

"Yes, if you have any of those, don't be afraid to spam them," said Garcia. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. You'll need it."

"Who should be the one to take it down?" asked Hotch.

"Let me see if we can break his defenses down and then we'll talk," said Garcia. "It's preparing to attack. Let's do this."

They ran forward and spread out. Towards the front stood Hotch, Akihiko, Prentiss, and Morgan, while Reid, J.J., and Rossi stood back. They began the onslaught with their respective main attacks. The creature blocked Krotos' arrows and didn't seem to phased by Ares' fire. It reflected Frigga's wind and simply ignored Thoth's Hama. It did seem to notice Odin's thunder, but it shrugged it off. Apate and Akihiko, meanwhile, began casting powers that would cause different colored lights to appear in the center of the monster, sucking out energy of sorts from it. Or so it appeared.

"I can sense his defenses weakening," said Garcia. "But that doesn't make him any less dangerous. You'll want to be careful when he strikes… and here it comes!"

The robot swung its sword and the very air around them seemed to slice into them. The members of the BAU groaned as they felt their skin rip all over their bodies. Garcia's eyes widened.

"Those charges… those electrical surrounding things… they increase his power… doubling it, actually!" she gasped.

"Hang in there…" said J.J., bringing out Frigga to heal everyone.

"Wait… Thoth… you too? Okay… go for it…" said Reid, standing up very slowly.

Thoth held his ankh above his head. Everyone was surrounded by the flash of light. Hotch felt his cuts close up. From the relieved look on everyone else's faces, he assumed that went for them as well. The robot raised its arms above and began to charge again.

"Wait a minute… HOTCH! Hit him now!" Garcia screamed.

Garcia dove forward as Odin flew forward, his spear outstretched. His Spear soared through the air and hit the towering figure, piercing its leg. The robot overbalanced and fell, nearly crushing Apate and Krotos, who dove out of the way just in time. The monster, prone, was defenseless.

"GET HIM!" Garcia screamed.

Everyone rushed forward with their Personas. Flashes of fire and lightning, bright lights and dark clouds, all exploded outward in a cloud of destruction. When it cleared, the robot shadow was gone; only its behemoth sword remained. The BAU members fell to their knees.

"We did it…" muttered Hotch. "E… excellent work, everyone."

"_**Fantastic… you have all more than proven yourselves… hehehehh…" **_cackled the voice again

The cold air around them whipped around. From above them, the sky of wires shook violently, sparking and falling towards them. Hotch heard his entire team screaming as he felt the ground fall out below him. He fell for a short time… until he crashed hard onto the floor in the Yasogami High computer room.

He leapt to his feet, everyone groaning around him as they struggled to get up. Bruised and beaten, everyone seemed otherwise unharmed.

"We're… we're back our world I think," said Rise, breathlessly.

"Yeah… Dojima, are you and Nanako okay?" asked Hotch.

Dojima looked at him quizzically and shook his head, shrugging. Apparently he couldn't understand him any longer. Hotch sighed and had Akihiko translate for them. Dojima was okay, though Nanako had a bruise forming on her forehead. J.J. tried to summon her Persona but found herself unable to, even with the Evoker.

"I don't think it works in the traditional rules of our world," said Akihiko. "From what Rise has told me, they were only able to Summon in that other world… and with us in SEES, we were only able to do it during the Dark Hour."

"What's the Dark Hour? And what is SEES exactly?" asked Hotch.

"It's a long story. I'll explain back in the Amagi Inn," said Akihiko. "If I may, I have a call to make. Would you… excuse me?"

"Absolutely. See you later at the hotel," said Hotch. "Everyone okay?"

"Fine… just a little dizzy," said Prentiss.

"Let's… let's get back to the Inn, please…" said Garcia. "I need… to bathe."

"Let's go," said Hotch. "Rise, if you could, tell Dojima to get our car out here, please."

"Yes, Hotch-san," she said.

Hotch turned to follow his team out of the room when he found himself standing in the Velvet Room again, Igor sitting before him. Around the long-nosed man, the cards spun around him. He smiled.

"Your powers have all been made manifest," he said. "This is quite exciting, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah… and that world… that's going to help us solve this case, right?" asked Hotch.

"The truth is indeed located in that world. Use your powers to seek it, but remember to always rely on each other for help," said Igor.

"Is there anything else you can say to help me?" asked Hotch.

"Your partners from your country are not your only allies in this fight. But they will not be your strongest assets. The bonds you have with your team are your strongest weapon. Don't forget that."

Hotch nodded and turned away from Igor. He found himself back in Inaba, walking out of the computer room and sliding the door shut behind him.

**Author's Note:**

**The story continues. Sorry for the long pauses in updates. I really am promising to try and update faster. But I tend to break those promises. So we'll see.**


	7. Chapter 7: Gather

**Author's Note:**

**Well now that I've made you all wait another whole month, here's an update! Not a lot of action per se, but it's all stuff that needs to be said. Also, fun fact about my inability to write, just like with Colette in Tales of Invader Potter and the Whitestone School, I was unable to spell Yosuke's name correctly until now. It's fixed in the Master Copy on my computer but probably won't fix the individual chapters on here until I finish the story (whenever that is).**

Chapter Seven: Gather

The next morning, Hotch and Rossi sat in Hotch's room, quietly discussing their situation. Yukiko had already brought them their breakfasts and begun to tidy up Hotch's bed before she sensed their serious discussion and left them alone, asking they call her when they were finished.

"Erin had me up half the night, shouting my ear off," said Hotch, sipping a strong coffee. "She says we have no new bodies, but every minute we're all over here is a waste of time to her."

"She's not going to let this rest, you know," said Rossi, sighing. "All of us out of the country…"

"She promised me a week, but I don't know if she'll revoke that if we can't come up with anything. And, of course, I couldn't tell her about the computer…" said Hotch.

Rossi actually chuckled. "I would love to see her face when that happened…"

Hotch smiled ruefully, picturing the utter look of horror and indignation that would pass on the Section Chief's face. But it was no good. They had to figure out what was going on with that world, and they had to do it today. If they didn't come up with something, Strauss wasn't going to let the trip continue; that much he was certain.

"What if… we send someone back? Someone Strauss can always have access to, inside or outside of the computer?" asked Rossi.

"Who, though? We don't have any leads; we need everyone here so that we can figure this all out…" said Hotch.

"What about if I go?" suggested Rossi. "I know how to handle Erin; I can easily buy her the rest of your time. Plus, it might be better to have one of us in the country, just in case."

"That's… actually not a bad idea," said Hotch. "But do you want to take someone with you, for support? Maybe J.J. or Reid-."

"No, I'll just get someone from the force when I get back over there. Seaver or something, probably," said Rossi. "You let me deal with that. You have much more important things to deal with here."

"Then that will be our plan. I'll be in touch. Make sure you meet up with Kevin when you get there, too," said Hotch.

"Of course," said Rossi, rolling his eyes. "He and Garcia really are a perfect match for each other…"

The rest of the BAU, always unwilling to break up the core group, didn't take Rossi leaving quite as well as Hotch had. But they realized that it was the only way they'd be permitted to stay in Inaba. So, they went along with it and accompanied him to the train station. During the trip, Akihiko spoke on his cell for a long time until he suddenly glanced at his watch and, with more excitement in his voice, ended the call.

"There's someone who you all need to meet, coming in on this train," said Akihiko. "She's going to give you each an Evoker and explain a little more deeply into the whole situation with Personas as we know them."

They arrived at the station just minutes before the train pulled in. The train was actually pretty full for an Inaba-bound trip: eight people stepped onto the platform. A red-haired women marched toward them, wearing a crisp business dress and high-heeled boots. She carried a large, metallic suitcase in one hand, a hand-held computer in the other.

"Agents, I would like to introduce you to a good friend of mine: Mitsuru Kirijo," said Akihiko.

"From Kirijo Electronics?" exclaimed Garcia. "You guys make the _best_ headphones!"

"I appreciate the compliment," said Mitsuru bowing to the BAU members. "Akihiko has told me a lot about your situation. And I'm glad I could come here to assist you."

"Mitsuru, as the heiress to the Kirijo Group, was one of the previous leaders for our shadow-fighting group SEES," explained Akihiko. "She's also largely responsible for me even getting into the FBI in the first place."

"You'd be surprised how few favors and strings I had to call in and pull," said Mitsuru, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. "Now, I understand you are all under a tight schedule, so, if you don't mind, we should get a move on. We don't have a lot of time."

The BAU members all said goodbye to Rossi as he stepped aboard the old train. After he was gone, they hurried back to the cars and were whisked back to the police station, given the private interrogation area, where Mitsuru set up her suitcases and began to pass out Evokers.

"And this is a special one for you," said Mitsuru, handing Reid a model that more closely resembled his revolver. "Akihiko said you were partial to this model."

"Thanks," said Reid, blown away that she even had it ready for him.

"I appreciate you all holding off your questions until now, especially given how much of a shock yesterday must have been for you. I will be happy to answer your questions after I explain a little bit about myself, my own time fighting Shadows, and our understanding of Personas as it stands," said Mitsuru, launching into her professional business mode.

Over the course of an hour, she explained the experiments her grandfather had started, which gave birth to the Shadows. She summarized their experiences from years previous, combatting the Shadows, losing two friends in the process, and what had happened with the Shadow and Persona research since then. She did admit that she wasn't sure how, or even if, the TV and computer worlds were in any way connected to her family's experiments, but assured them that she would be looking into that at the first opportunity.

Her explanation was very thorough, so nobody really had too many questions at the end of it. During her story, Dojima, Naoto, and Kanji had all arrived, though the guys didn't fully understand the conversation at the time. When she was done, Naoto walked up to her, introduced herself, and then turned to address the room at large.

"I'm happy to report that we had some extra allies arrive earlier today," she said. "On the train this morning, two of our former Investigation Team members, including our former leader, came back to Inaba."

"Excellent, I was hoping to have a chance to speak with him," said Hotch. "Where are they now?"

"Waiting outside. They were reuniting with the rest of the team when Kanji and I left," said Naoto. "Please, come meet them."

Outside, they saw a young man and woman whom they'd seen disembarking in front of Mitsuru earlier that day. The guy had silver hair and eyes, standing taller than the rest of the Investigation Squad (minus the behemoth Kanji), while the girl was shorter, had short, choppy brown hair, and very muscular legs.

"Agents, may I introduce to you Satonaka Chie and our former leader, Narukami Yu," said Naoto.

"I really wish you guys would pick a way to tell us names," said Morgan. "I'm getting everything backwards."

"It's nice to meet you," said Chie, slowly, obviously struggling with her English. Yukiko started to giggle.

"Yes, welcome to Japan and Inaba," said Yu, his voice low and pleasant. "I hope we can be of service to you."

"Honestly, we'll take all the help we can get," said Hotch.

"Hotch, we should really get back to the school and start working on those character sheets," said Garcia. "We need to further narrow down the list of suspects and victims…"

"Actually, I was hoping we could have an afternoon of Persona training," said Mitsuru, suddenly. "It's clear to me that it will be something you need to focus on. Your… how do you say… Unknown Subject, he is probably in that world you discovered."

"Yes, but we won't be able to find him if we don't know who he is," said J.J.

"How about you split the group up, then?" suggested Rise.

"Yes, half of you work in the computers, the other half can train your Personas," said Yukiko.

"I think that would be a fantastic idea, actually," said Reid. "Who is going where?"

"I'll go train first," said Prentiss. "Honestly, I'm more of a handicap with computers."

"Same here," said Morgan. "I'm way more useful on the lines than on the keyboards."

"Ain't that the truth," said Garcia and Reid at the same time, followed by Garcia's "Jinx, jinx, you owe me 6 drinks!"

"J.J., how about you supervise at the computer station for the first half, while I go back to the T.V. world to train," said Hotch. "In a few hours, we'll switch it up."

"Sounds good," said J.J., nodding.

Naoto and Yukiko explained what was going on to everyone else. They finally decided to split it up so that Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Yu, Dojima, Kanji, and Teddie would head to the T.V., while Garcia, Reid, J.J., Naoto, Rise, Yukiko, Chie, and Yosuke would head back to Yasogami High to continue narrowing down the suspects and victims lists. They headed off in more large, black vehicles that nearly all of Inaba were used to seeing to the point where their heads didn't even turn anymore as they sped by.

Back in the TV world, they stood in an open field. Mitsuru set up a few combat dummies that looked a lot like Shadows, ordering her trainees to stand on one side of them while everyone else stood back.

"Shadows all have different properties. Strengths, weaknesses, etcetera," she explained. "Today's purposes are to test you, to find out what you're capable of, so we can best feed that information to your support and come up with effective strategies for defending yourself and others."

"Which is meee!" Teddie said, waving his hand violently around from the sidelines.

"And Rise and myself… oh, and I suppose your Tech Analyst, Garcia," added Mitsuru. "As such, we have different people here to test your resistances to various attacks."

"We're going to test you with our Personas," said Akihiko, grinning. "Don't worry, it won't be too painful. And we'll heal you, of course."

"So what are your… like… Persona attacks or whatever?" asked Prentiss.

"Ice," said Mitsuru and Teddie at the same time.

"Electric," said Kanji and Akihiko in unison.

There was a short silence as the four looked at each other.

"I guess we didn't plan this too well, huh?" asked Dojima, sighing.

"I can fill in for the others," said Yu, suddenly. "I am one of the ones who can use multiple Personas."

"You can? Mitsuru, he's just like—," Akihiko began, shocked.

"Yes, I know," said Mitsuru, waving her hand at him to shush him. "Another time. We have more important things to do right now…"

The plan was that each would summon their Persona and do a very low-level spell of each element on them. Akihiko went first, firing a Mazio at the three. Odin, to no surprise, blocked it with his hand. Ares didn't seem particularly phased by it. But Apate reacted badly to the shock, and Prentiss found herself collapsed on the ground, even with the weak charge.

"I think it's safe to say that your Persona can easily withstand Electric attacks, Agent Hotchner, while Agent Prentiss' Persona has a serious weakness to it…" said Mitsuru, while Dojima and Teddie scribbled things down on a piece of paper. She then took out her Evoker and stepped forward. "My turn. Come, Artemesia…"

This time, Hotch found himself lying on the ground, his body feeling like it was frozen solid. Next to him, Morgan seemed to feel the same way, barely able to move. The attack didn't seem to really phase Prentiss, who looked down at her collapsed partners with a slight smirk on her face.

"So you both seem to have a weakness to ice. How peculiar," said Mitsuru. "But Agent Prentiss, we may have found our strength."

"It's what Apate's attacks seem to be comprised of," said Prentiss, shrugging. "So it would make sense."

"Indeed," said Mitsuru. "Let us continue…"

Yu stepped forward next, Summoning one of his Personas. A small pumpkin-headed flame demon, Pyro Jack, appeared, shooting small flames at the Personas above them. Apate went down this time, while Ares seemed to have shrugged off the blow. Odin, Hotch could tell, definitely felt the shock, but it didn't paralyze him completely either. When he used the fairy queen Titania for a weak wind attack, Morgan was once again thrown to the ground while Prentiss and Apate didn't seem to feel any extraordinary pain.

"Now, understand that we cannot fully test you for Light and Dark because those tend to be… er… Instant Death," said Mitsuru. "Or, rather, instant unconsciousness. As there is no safe way to test that… just always be on the guard for those attacks. Now, let's see what your Personas are capable of..."

They displayed their most obvious elemental attacks first, which Mitsuru was quick to comment on for diverse team building. Then she had them try some other physical attacks. Apate didn't seem to have much of an affinity for them, though Odin and especially Ares had no trouble hacking away at one of the targets. When Ares managed to knock one down, Hotch felt a powerful desire to strike flow through him and Odin, who leapt high into the sky and brought his spear straight down into the downed target, piercing it with a strong blast.

"… wow, Hotch, that was cruel," said Prentiss.

"But very helpful. I remember we had another member of SEES whose Persona had similar attacks," said Akihiko. "It's great for finishing off enemies."

"I noticed that some of your attacks seemed stronger than normal," said Mitsuru, checking Dojima's notes. "Measuring your concentrations of fire and electricity, I would hazard the guess that your Personas are boosting the powers."

"It's amazing!" squealed Teddie, gripping his clipboard to his face as sparkles flew in front of his eyes. "You and Sensei are all so powerful!"

"Sensei?" asked Morgan.

"He's referring to me," said Yu, grinning. "But even I didn't grow as powerful as you all have grown. It took me forever; I was so winded each day."

"Yes, on that note, how do you all feel?" asked Mitsuru. "Any fatigue?"

"Not… really, now that you mention it," said Prentiss.

"Yeah. Yesterday we were wiped after just a few Summons, but look at us now," said Morgan, flexing. "I feel excellent."

"That's amazing!" Kanji exclaimed. "It took me over two weeks to be able to summon properly!"

"Now, to finish this off, let's look into what other possible kinds of spells you can have. Healing, Empowering, Disarming… there are a lot of possibilities here," said Mitsuru. "For example, observe. Tentarafoo!"

Artemisia arrived and pulled her sword-whip tight between her hands. Three thin veins of bright light spun right into the front of the nearest dummies, erupting with a bright flash on what would have been the faces. Other than that, it didn't seem to do anything.

"What you don't see," explained Mitsuru. "Is that the dummies, were they real Shadows, would be in a panicked and confused state, unable to concentrate or perform any strong attacks. But be wary; the same can afflict your Personas. Now, look deep within yourself… see if any of you can perform any of these sorts of attacks…"

Hotch, despite his best efforts, couldn't come up with anything. Neither could Morgan, although he did say that Ares was trying to get him to test something out on Hotch or Prentiss, but Mitsuru asked him to hold off for the time being. Finally, Prentiss stepped forward. She looked at Apate who gazed back at her, wordlessly. Finally, she focused her eyes squarely on the bag on front of her.

"Marin… Karin!" she shouted. "… did I say that right?"

A whoosh of energy around her and an eruption of pink light appeared to blind the closest dummy again. Mitsuru grinned, and she had Teddie make another note to add to Prentiss' file. After that, they practiced Empowering spells, which gave boosts to either a person's attack, defensive, or dodging capabilities. Morgan realized that was what Ares was trying to do the whole time, and was surprised when Tarukaja gave him a feeling of explosive energy.

On the other end, Prentiss showed Mitsuru her real forte: disarming spells. Apate had access to single-target disarming spells, which she showed off for the group as multi-colored lights were seemingly sucked right out of the dummies, leaving them slightly more deflated. Hotch was becoming slightly frustrated; he'd been unable to have Odin replicate any of those spells.

"I want you to all know what it feels like to have those spells placed on you," said Akihiko. "So you can tell, in case Garcia can't. Sometimes, in the heat of the battle, you won't realize until it's too late. Now… Matarunda!"

The agents felt all of their strength slip out of them. It was like their bodies were slightly too heavy for their muscles, and they sank to the ground in various positions. But Odin seemed to be nagging at Hotch, who looked up and saw the Persona fixing him with a fierce stare. Hotch cocked his head to the side and was surprised to hear the Persona speak to him.

"This is your chance. Your allies will need you," he said.

"But I haven't been able to perform any of these empowering or disarming-type magics," Hotch replied in his head. "It seems like our usefulness ends at straight combat."

"Personas, like humans, are both limited in what they can do perfectly," said Odin. "You may not be the one to cause those so-called strengthening/weakening spells, but you can do something about them. Dekunda."

"Dekuna?" Hotch repeated, outloud.

Around them, a clear ball of energy encased each of the BAU members, and then burst. The strength flowed back into them, and they all stood up, as good as they'd been before the spell was previously cast. Mitsuru and especially Teddie were beside themselves.

"That was _AMAZING Hotch!_" screamed Teddie, flinging his notes into the air for an irritated Kanji to scoop up.

"That is a very advanced spell; I'm amazed you were able to pull it off after such little training. Dekunda, as it seems to be called, is a negation of any status-lowering spells you might find yourself afflicted by. It's an invaluable asset," said Mitsuru.

"Figures Hotch would get the cool stuff," said Morgan. "Only fitting for the leader, am I right?"

"Now, can any of you cast healing magic?" asked Mitsuru. Nobody was able to after a short conversation with their Personas, so she cast a Mediarama spell on all of them, allowing their muscles to feel warm and cool relief passing through. "That's all for today; remember everything you've learned here. Yu, if you wouldn't mind staying behind, I'd like to talk to you about a couple of things. Teddie, please show them out and return with the other agents."

"Absolutely!" said Teddie, leading the way and bouncing around in his bear costume. "Follow meeeee!"

"He's… full of energy," Morgan muttered as he walked after him.

"Just be thankful he's not making bear puns every few seconds," muttered Kanji as he walked over to speak with Mitsuru and Akihiko.

Dojima, who had been watching almost wordlessly the entire time, walked with Hotch as they headed back to the exit. However, he hung back from the others, and something was obviously troubling him. Hotch slowed down until he was far enough out of earshot of the others and asked him what was eating at him.

"I feel useless," he said. "Every time some important case comes up in this town, I can't do anything about it. The murders, this situation with the computers… and… well, I guess the other one is more persona… but still…"

"What happened?" asked Hotch.

"My wife… she… … well, it was a long time ago. There was… a driver, and she was run over… she didn't survive. I never was able to track down the man who did it. His car has basically disappeared…" muttered Dojima.

"Do you have any info on it? Can't you track it?" asked Hotch.

"It's never been a priority to any of the departments I spoke to. I only have a color and the vague report that it was a foreign-made vehicle. Which doesn't help. Hell, for all I know, the guy's left the country by now. I'm sorry to burden you with my baggage…" he added.

"It's no trouble at all. I wish there was something I could do to help…" said Hotch. "I know what it's like to lose a wife… and only have a child behind. One that you have to answer to everyday… to questions they don't ask."

Dojima nodded, his eyes full of a sadness Hotch identified with and recognized. They walked in silence for a few more feet until they reached the televisions that would lead them back out into Junes. Hotch was about to go through when Dojima stopped him.

"Does your son… has he ever blamed you? For not… catching the guy?" asked Dojima.

Hotch sighed. "No. But… that's because he was upstairs when his mother died… and when I killed the man who shot her."

!*!*!*!

Hotch was surprised that Dojima was able to hide his sorrow so well during their short ride back to Yasogami. Naoto, who had been standing watch outside with Yosuke, escorted them. If he hadn't known what was on Dojima's mind already, Hotch wasn't sure even he would have picked up on it. The man was much more than he'd first thought when he'd met the surly, non-English-speaking man.

The computers in the lab were violently clicking away as they walked in. Everyone was at one, even little Nanako. Dojima seemed a little taken aback at first, but, since all she was doing was matching up names to characters, he seemed to relent. Yukiko kept a watch over her shoulder from the computer next to her, talking in low, calming tones to her as Nanako pointed out different things on the screen.

"Welcome back Hotch, Emily, and my tall dark and handsome," said Garcia, from within a sea of wires on the far side. "As you can see, we've been hard at work. We've found almost everyone's characters from Nyx's Embrace, as well as narrowed down over 200 names of people who had just started playing the MMO."

"That's… good news I think?" said Prentiss, uncertainly.

"It's _very_ good news!" exclaimed Garcia. "I'm just waiting on an e-mail from Kevin with the final details of our latest victims. Also, Rossi wanted me to tell you that he's at the airport, but the flight's delayed because the storms are still pounding the East Coast, so the flight was late getting out. Bummer, huh?"

"Any messages from Strauss?" asked Hotch, his stomach tightening.

"Nope, no ear-piercing screeches to speak of yet," replied Garcia, already tacking away at a new keyboard. "And my guess is you're about to steal two of my fastest typists, right?"

"Yes. J.J., Reid, Mitsuru would like to see you in the TV world," said Hotch. "Garcia, they probably want you, too…"

"Tell them to get me another time, I'm in the zone," said Garcia.

"All right. Deliver the news for me, would you J.J.?" asked Hotch as he took Reid's seat at the computer.

"Will do," she said, saluting him as she and Reid left with Naoto, Dojima, and Yosuke.

They spent a few more hours in the computer lab, sorting through the names and accounts of many, many different people. Garcia showed them how to gather the toon names, match it up to a proper account, and then access it via a password recovery program she was running for them. It was obvious that she wasn't thrilled with the speed of Morgan and Prentiss' typing, but she made do by doubling her own output. As time wore on, they narrowed down the list a few more places. But their list of possible UnSubs was too big.

"You know what, Hotch, I think we're starting to approach this all wrong," said Morgan.

"How do you mean?" asked Hotch.

"We don't even have much of a preliminary profile. If we did, we could easily narrow some of these names down," said Morgan.

"Yes… yes, you're right," said Hotch, shocked at the realization. With everything that had been happening, they'd lost sight of their main job. "Once J.J. and Reid get back, we'll sit down and figure out what is going on."

They didn't have to wait quite as long for them to return as it took everyone else. Reid wandered in first, massaging his temples, while J.J. seemed more tired than anything, collapsing into a chair between Garcia and Akihiko. Mitsuru followed, a stack of papers in her hand that she gave to Rise and Garcia to peruse. Then she took an open computer and was instantly immersed in character-checking, her nails clicking with the keys as her hands flew across the keyboard.

"So how'd it go? Did you find your weaknesses?" asked Morgan.

"Apparently I don't have any… or, rather, Thoth doesn't have any," said Reid. "But the trade-off is I don't seem to be particularly strong to anything…"

"You might have a weakness to Dark magic," Mitsuru reminded him. "Given your Persona's affinity for Light attacks. But we can't accurately test it…"

"I seem to be weak to Electric attacks," said J.J. with a sigh. "I thought I was paralyzed for a few minutes."

"And I seem to be able to boost defenses and heal," said Reid. "J.J. 's a better healer than me. And she can remove… what were they called, stronger… like… spells…?"

"Buffs," said Garcia as she thumbed through the pages of Teddie's notes.

"Yes. Buffs, that's it," said Reid. "Hotch, J.J. and I were talking and we think it might be best to start coming up with a preliminary—."

"Profile. Yes, Morgan was thinking the same thing," said Hotch. "We don't know much about him, but let's take what we do know for sure."

"I'd like to help, if possible," said Naoto, standing up from her computer. "I mean, I know I haven't had much experience in profiling, but I can certainly try to fill in some information…"

"And Dojima-san probably will want to assist you as well," said Yukiko, as Dojima perked up at hearing his name. "I'll translate if you'd like."

"Thank you," said Hotch. "At this point, we'll take all the help we can get."

"See if Rossi's available," suggested Prentiss. "Conference call him."

"I'm on it," said Garcia, tacking into a bedazzled phone. It rang for a second before Rossi seemed to pick up. "Hello, Agent Rossi, it's Penelope. I-. Oh. OH they're boarding now, finally? Well that's good. No, no, we were just going to start comprising a preliminary profile, so… yes, just call us once you're in the air."

"Jesus, he's just leaving now?" said Morgan. "How delayed was that flight?"

"They actually routed him through Phoenix instead of Pittsburgh," said Garcia. "Pittsburgh is still trapped on the ground in the USA; the storms won't let up along the East Coast."

"Okay, everyone, so, what do we have so far…?" said Hotch.

They used a chalkboard to come up with their information. They stuck the few photos they had up on the wall, while Garcia tried to get an overhead projector to work. Failing that, she just started sending them to everyone's tablets (Reid being forced to share Morgan's). They took a few minutes to read back through everything, and then the discussions opened.

"I don't think the victims' bodies are going to tell us much about our UnSub, since it might not be him whose killing them directly," said Hotch. "Also, there's no obvious signs of death."

"Yes," said Naoto. "That's one of the things that really had the police stumped over here. With one exception, none of the Inaba murders could ever be conclusively given a cause."

"Only the symbol for Nyx's Embrace really seems to be giving us any direct lead… and that means it's only lead us to the guild itself," said Prentiss.

"Garcia, have you learned anything about the guild?" asked Morgan.

"No… actually, I haven't logged on to Divinity since we got back," admitted Garcia. "I was afraid of what might happen if I did."

"Try and see if you can find some sort of forum or website," suggested Reid. "Maybe someone's said something about the guild… or they've done recruiting outside the game."

"I'll see what I can turn up," said Garcia.

"I think it's safe to assume the voice we heard in the computer world was our UnSub, and he was able to tell that we'd entered. He tested us, to make sure we were good enough," said Morgan. "What does that tell us about him?"

"Well… if he made a world in Divinity, like… the levels, and such… you have to be a pretty good coder to pull off the really good stuff," said Garcia. "They do have the pre-sets that you can sort-of copy and paste, but those are never nearly as interesting or impressive…"

"He definitely thinks of himself as a master of the game, of fate. He's totally in control," said Morgan.

"Yeah, by saying that we have to prove ourselves, he's placing himself at a higher position than us, as if we're nothing more than peons or animals to him," said Reid.

"Garcia, what exactly do the levels and dungeons entail?" asked Prentiss.

"Well… see, your characters are on a quest to become deity of some sort," said Garcia. "And to do that, you must prove yourself to the people of the planet and to the High Gods and Goddesses. You journey through these Hells that people create, which are the dungeons, where you have to battle demons and monsters or solve puzzles or, in some cases, even fight each other for the right to pass through."

"Then our UnSub probably sees himself as a God. He's looming over his creatures, his pets, as they try and run through these Hells, to test them… but what's his endgame?" asked Hotch.

"Does he want them to die in the end, or is he like… recruiting people for the cult he's come up with?" asked Prentiss.

"And how on earth did he get the powers to actually physically pull people into the game?" asked J.J.

"When I got the power to enter the TV world," Yu suddenly interrupted. "It came from a gas station attendant here in Inaba… which turned out to be the Death Goddess Izanami… or one claiming to be her."

"The one who was scorned by her lover, the God Izanami, and vowed to kill 1000 mortals a day due to his betrayal," said Reid, before anyone could ask. "Why did she choose you?"

"I think… she was testing humanity. She gave the powers to Namatame and Adachi," said Yu. "She wanted to grant what she thought the wishes of humanity were, which, thanks to those two, she thought they were for everyone to disappear into the fog of illusion. So that everyone would become Shadows."

"Which is exactly what those demons we fought yesterday were," said Morgan. "Is that what our UnSub wants?"

"It doesn't seem like he's got the same motivation as this Izanami woman did," said Prentiss. "If he was testing us to see what we wanted, I don't think he'd have reacted the same way when we first entered."

"I agree," said Hotch. "It seems like, while he is giving out this power to us for his enjoyment, he's doing so without regard for what those who obtain the power want."

"So he's probably a sadist, then," said Reid.

"Perhaps he feels out of control in his current life? Something is happening to him that he doesn't have control over, so he creates this world in Divinity to escape it," suggested Morgan.

"That would fit. That might be as much as we can go on. Though the voice sounded adult and male, we can't really rule out anyone else. Garcia, look into the hierarchy of the Guild. Look for high-ranking members who have been there for a long time, and compare it to the people whose names we've found," said Hotch.

"I'm already on it, sir. So far, very few forums or chat boards have any information on Nyx's Embrace, beyond PVP scores or Guild Achievements, which are public knowledge for every single guild in the game," she said, sliding down to an adjacent computer. "I'm certain something this big has to have some sort of website, so I'll be looking into that as well."

"We're counting on you," said Hotch.

"Now that I think about it, he was very decisive in what he was telling us," said J.J. "Insane, yes, but he sounded like he knew what he was talking about. He knew exactly what to say to make us sound like we were that far beneath him…"

"Do you think this guy could have a real job, something like a middle-manager position?" suggested Morgan.

"Just enough power to grant him some dominance over others, yet not enough to actually feel like he's contributing to a company overall," muttered Reid. "That would be enough to drive anyone insane."

"And if his job and life are full of that maddening monotony, he might have retreated to Divinity to make himself feel like he's got more of a purpose," added J.J.

"So we're likely looking for a male, aged between 25 to 40, possibly with a job in middle management," said Hotch.

"That narrows it down a little bit for me," said Garcia. "Divinity's clientele is almost exclusively teenagers and young adults because the subscription price is lower than most MMORPGs. Though it is worldwide, it's heavily focused on American gamers."

"You can probably narrow it down to being in America," said Hotch. "Keep Japan open too, though, just in case."

"Understood, sir," said Garcia. "I'll get to work on this, though it might take me some time. I'm gonna have Kevin help me on his end as much as possible, too."

"Do you need any assistance with that?" asked Rise.

"Thanks angel, but you all already know far too much about my wicked ways. If you want to keep sorting through character profiles and matching them up to accounts, please do so. We've only got another hundred or so to sort through and then we're done," replied Garcia, already busy tacking away at two keyboards.

Once they had finished organizing the list of characters and the account numbers and names associated with them, most of the BAU members headed back to the Amagi Inn to relax and recuperate. Mitsuru, Naoto, and Garcia remained in the computer lab to help Garcia sort information, as well as Mitsuru still wishing to do some tests with Garcia's Persona. Hotch ordered the team to get as much rest as possible because the next day was going to prove to be incredibly taxing on them. They had to return to their computer world to figure out exactly where their UnSub was, and how to capture him and bring him to justice.

Hotch called both Strauss (who was in a meeting, thankfully) and Rossi, who listened carefully to the profile Hotch gave him and agreed with basically everything that was said. He also complained about being bumped down to Business Class, asking if Hotch might be able to convince Strauss to send the regular BAU jet to Phoenix to pick him up.

Mitsuru arrived back at the hotel just after dark, chatting away on her phone. She was just passing the main dining area when she spotted Hotch, and walked over to speak with him.

"I've just received word that some of my back-up squad members from SEES will arrive on the first train tomorrow," said Mitsuru. "They will be part of our escort deep into the computer world, including a fifth communications liason."

"That's good to hear," said Hotch. "Are they coming here?"

"No, I'm afraid the Amagi Inn is full tonight, so they're staying with Satonaka-san and Dojima-san's homes until tomorrow morning. What time did you want to meet back at Junes?"

"Let's shoot for 9:30. Enough for everyone to get sleep, especially Garcia who will undoubtedly be up until 3 or 4, and eat before having to go to work," said Hotch. "By the way, how did her Persona test out?"

Mitsuru smiled. "Inconclusive. She wouldn't let me pull her away from the computer. Something about a serious hacking battle to break into a high-tech, password protected forum… but apparently it has something to do with Nyx's Embrace. I didn't question her."

"Understood. See you tomorrow, then," said Hotch, bowing lightly to her.

"And same to you, Hotch-san," she said, turning and heading for her room.

**Author's Note:**

**Next chapter: back to the computer, and FINALLY some real action. The BAU members hunt the UnSub, with the total combined force made up of SEES members and the Inaba Investigation Team.**


	8. Chapter 8: Separate

**Author's Note:**

**The next long-awaited installment! I appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy it.**

Chapter Eight: Separate

By the time Hotch woke the next morning, Rossi had managed to get from Phoenix to Quantico and had already launched his own small investigation force, to look into connections of all the victims and their dealings with the game. But with the intermittent power outages all over the east coast (and the continuing, brutal storms that were still pounding 25 states), he claimed it was tedious work and Strauss' constant hovering wasn't helping anything.

"You owe me several drinks when this is all through, you realize," said Rossi in a low, tired voice when he called Hotch.

"Absolutely. You're a brave man, Dave," said Hotch.

Garcia, who claimed to have stumbled in at about 5:30 that morning, was also happy to report that she'd managed to break into the very secure server on Nyx's Embrace. Before she'd been re-blocked, she'd scanned almost 250 posts, including one that gave the general hierarchal layout of the guild. But, she lamented, some of the character names didn't match up to the forum usernames, so she was going to have to have Kevin re-hack in and look through and match up those names.

"Still, it's a start," said Garcia. "And I had like 4 hours of sleep last night so I'm good to go for today!"

"Don't overdo it," cautioned Hotch. "We need you out on this side of the world more than ever, without a lot of direct contact back to Quantico."

"Of course, sir," said Garcia, breaking into a wide grin at the praise.

They met back at Junes and were introduced to the back-up from SEES. It was three young women and a dog. The green-haired girl spoke fairly good English, but seemed even more quiet and reserved than the others. The brunette, her face beautiful and cloaked in a bright pink cardigan, seemed less fluent in English but a little more forward. Still, she hung back with the other girl. There was also a blonde woman, but something about the robotic way she spoke and her eyes made the BAU uncomfortable. The dog… was a dog. And they patted him on the head as he panted up at them.

"This is Fuuka Yamagishi, Yukari Takeba, Aigis, and the dog is named Koromaru, or Koro for short," explained Mitsuru. "They will be providing support for us on our way through this internet world."

"I think it's time we entered," said Hotch. "Remember, everyone, be especially careful and keep a hold on your revolvers."

"I would feel much safer if you didn't use your regular guns for this," said Mitsuru. "One of the things Shadows can do is confuse and/or charm enemies. We really don't need you guys being controlled to shoot yourselves or your friends by accident."

"You have a point," said Hotch. "But at this juncture we have no way of being able to defend ourselves, other than brute force. Aside from Morgan, myself, and Prentiss, that may be a handicap."

"I resent that," said J.J.

"He's probably right," said Reid, shrugging. "Hand-to-hand was another sketchy area of my training."

"Sketchy? Reid, you almost blatantly failed that section numerous times," said Morgan.

"Details, details. Now, children, please stand back. I'm logging into the server as we speak…" said Garcia.

She signed in and, sure enough, the moment Divinity opened they were engulfed by the white light and pulled into the computer. The newcomers weren't expecting it and screamed and shrieked in surprise as they tumbled through the whiteness. They landed on the ground and everyone scrambled to their feet, Evokers or other weapons at the ready. They were in the same place: metallic floor, shimmering wires hanging above their heads into a bright fog or clouds way above their head. For a moment, nothing happened.

"That… was freaky," said Yukari.

"It gets easier the more you do it, I think," said Garcia. "By the way, Fuuka, I love your hair!"

"Oh… why thank you…" said Fuuka, smiling and bowing lightly. "Yours is quite pretty as well."

"We need to stay on point," said Mitsuru. "I've prepared several map layouts for us, so that we can start making our own little maps of this world…"

"Couldn't we just have our support scan the areas and do that themselves?" asked Chie.

"We're going to have enough to worry about, without trying to make maps," said Rise. "It's too much work for all of us to monitor a dozen people and make maps at the same time…"

"How about we split it up, then? Like… I'll monitor my BAU, and one of you others can monitor the maps and the others…" Garcia suggested.

**"**_**YOU RETURN!"**_

The voice that rang out across the sky returned. Everyone immediately sank into battle poses, weapons pointed in all directions as they formed a sort of protective circle around the support members.

"Show yourself!" snarled Hotch.

_**"HA! Though you have proven yourself as viable candidates for the Embrace, you have not yet passed the trials! Maybe once you survive that, you can contact me and—."**_

__The voice abruptly cut-off, and silence filled the world around them. The group shifted and looked uneasily at each other, wondering what could possibly be happening. Then, they heard a distant sound, like a crack of lightning, followed by a long, low roll of thunder. The noise continued to grow. Suddenly, Garcia, Teddie, Fuuka, and Rise whirled around and pointed to the sky, gasping.

Some of the wires were starting to spark and descend from the sky. They watched, in horror, as they came crashing down at the group, flashing white-hot peals of electricity at them. They screamed as one slammed down just in front of them, and they felt a shock run through their bodies as their vision clouded over into whiteness.

!*!*!*!

"It is good to see you," said Igor.

Back in the Velvet Room again, Hotch barely even jumped this time. The random pulls from his own world to the Velvet Room were becoming more and more expected; he was actually surprised it had been so long since Igor had stolen him.

"What happened to us?" asked Hotch.

"You and your group were sundered," said Igor. "But do not worry; everyone is currently alive and well. You need only worry about yourself for the moment."

He waved his hands over the table and a bunch of cards appeared, hovering above the table. Hotch watched curiously as Igor turned the cards over, glanced at them, and slowly set them back down. He never revealed the contents of them, but, once he had seen all the cards, he waved his hands over the table again and they all vanished.

"Your fate has brought you to this split in the road," said Igor. "You must now make your choices carefully, and walk only down the paths you feel correct. You may not be able to see everything clearly, nor explore each path fully on your own, but you must gather together with the others."

"My team?" asked Hotch. "Of course; they're my top priority. Will this lead me to the person who started this? Actually… do you know who our UnSub is?"

"I am unable to see that, for it is not part of my role," said Igor, apologetically. "The only one I have a direct connection with right now is you, Agent Hotchner. Thus, I can only provide assistance to you, and allow you to make your own choices. Though you are all split, none of you are alone."

"So then I have some people who can help me?" asked Hotch.

"Yes," said Igor. "And the time has almost come for that to begin. Just remember to follow the paths you think will lead you to the correct destinations, those that are most useful. Trust your intuition and your guts," said Igor. "For you will see many paths, and some will try and lead you down the incorrect ones."

"I understand," said Hotch. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," said Igor. "Until we meet again…"

!*!*!*

"HOTCH!" screamed Garcia.

She was standing over him, tears in her eyes, her hair and kimono an absolute train wreck. Hotch slowly sat up, feeling his body aching in protest as he did so. Not far away, he could see Mitsuru and Yu, both groaning as they stood up, rubbing their arms and legs.

"Hotch! I'm so glad you're okay," bawled Garcia.

"I'm fine. Garcia, is anyone else around here?" asked Hotch.

"N-no!" she cried. "I've looked and looked but I can't get any strong readings, only faint ones…"

"Okay, good," said Hotch. "It's okay; they're going to be fine and we're going to find them. The four of us will work together and locate the rest of our team."

Yu and Mitsuru walked over, glancing around the area. Hotch asked if they were okay, and if they'd sensed anything. Yu didn't have any Personas with the ability to do that, but Mitsuru sent out Artemisia to augment the scanning power of Garcia's Hathor.

"Do either of you sense anything?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, actually," Garcia, said, suddenly. "I… I think I was too upset before… but… someone's not far from here."

"Who?" asked Hotch.

"I… I think it's Morgan?" she said, tentatively. "And I can sense Rise with him, at least; I think she's scanning to us as well. But they're inside something… something I can hardly penetrate."

"Well, that's our starting point," said Hotch. "Let's head after them. Yu, Mitsuru, are you both able to fight?"

"I would be happier with something to arm myself with," admitted Mitsuru. "But Artemisia can handle things until a weapon becomes available."

"I'm ready," said Yu. "Just tell me what you need me to do. I'm flexible."

They walked in silence for a bit. Garcia would occasionally stop them and check on her surroundings, but it required her to constantly summon her persona as Hathor didn't travel well. Their progress was slow at first, but it wasn't long before the distant mist and fog began to form into the shape of something.

"It looks like… a street," said Misturu.

"Suburban by the looks of it," said Yu. "A bit bigger than Inaba but nowhere near the size of Tokyo."

"Wait a minute… Hotch, isn't this…?" Garcia began, her voice hushed.

Hotch felt his heart tighten in his chest as he looked down the street. He knew it well. It was the street he and his deceased wife Haley had been raising their son, Jack, in, before her death. He felt himself beginning to sweat, and his breathing became shallow. His mind flashed back to those heart-stopping moments he'd spent driving down the road, listening to the Reaper taunting him, Haley and Jack in the background… until the gunshot…

He shook his head to clear it. Why was this appearing in this world? He looked at his travelling companions. Garcia looked uncomfortable and was chewing on her bottom lip, not meeting his eyes. Mitsuru's face was a mask of confusion and thoughtfulness; she was clearly trying to understand what was happening. Yu, on the other hand, seemed to have a sort of sad recognition in his eyes.

"This is just like before," said Yu, quietly. "In the TV World, the… subconscious of the minds of humanity are what created the worlds inside the TV. That's where people ended up when they were thrown in, and where we had to rescue people when they were thrown in."

"So our UnSub may have known about me and used that knowledge to create this world…" said Hotch, his heart still thumping. "What awaits at the end?"

"Well…" said Yu, uncomfortably. "In the TV world, the Shadows within us are what we met at the end of each dungeon, and what we had to rescue each other from. I imagine something similar might await us…"

"But…" Garcia muttered. "I don't sense Morgan here… there's the evil yucky Shadows all over, and a stronger one a couple of blocks over, but nobody human."

"What do you think, Narukami?" asked Misturu. "Is it vital for us to go after what may be Agent Hotchner's shadow?"

"It's up to him," said Yu, shrugging. "He's the one leading us."

Everybody looked at Hotch. His thoughts immediately floated back to what Igor had been saying, about deciding between each path, and the way certain paths might take him in the wrong direction. But he also couldn't shake the feeling that leaving a Shadow of his own running around in this world was a bad idea, too. And just what did that mean for him?

"Garcia… if this world is modeled on Divinity, what are your thoughts?" asked Hotch.

"W-well…" she replied. "If… if this is Divinity, then this is probably what we call a Hell. And if that's true… it's probably your personal hell."

"And do Personal Hells have strong monsters at the end?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, a lot like what Yu just said," said Garcia, nodding. "The top monster baddie always has something to do with everything you've faced in the Hell. It's like a way for you to prepare to face the ultimate evil of the place."

"What if it doesn't get defeated?" asked Hotch.

"Occasionally, too many failed attempts will cause a Hellion to go berserk," said Garcia. "He can break out of the Hell and reign terror on nearby villages and towns, which can be a hassle if you're trying to turn in quests or buy supplies and such… but… um… in our case, I think it would be best to defeat the Hellions… we don't want those running around when we're still so split up…"

"Understood," said Hotch. "In that case, let's… let's head in here and defeat the Shadow or Hellion or whatever it is…"

They started slowly down the street. The further in they got, the less misty everything came, but it also had a strange, almost green-ish tint to it. Mitsuru commented that it vaguely reminded her of the Dark Hour haze she had experienced during her time in SEES. Garcia told them that things would be quiet for the first couple of blocks, and they were.

"Okay," she said, finally, while wrapped up in the Technicolor Persona. "I'm sensing quite a few Shadows approaching us… they seem to be patrolling certain areas, which fits for what most monsters do in Hells. But just be prepared; I'll scan them as soon as I can get a good, clean lock on them."

Hotch and Mitsuru held their Evokers at the ready, while Yu merely stretched his arms and took a deep breath, unbuttoning the top of his shirt and giving himself a little breathing room. They took a few steps down the middle of the street. Almost instantly there was a whispering, almost like the wind, but it didn't take long for them to start to make out whispers.

"_… I heard she was killed because of __**him**__…"_

_ "His poor son… growing up without a mother…"_

_ "… should never have gotten involved…"_

_ "You don't think we're in danger now, do you!"_

Hotch winced at the words. The voices, a conglomerate of sounds he recognized as former neighbors, and family members of Haley who weren't quite as forgiving as her sister. The others shifted uncomfortably, but none more so than Garcia, who actually seemed like she wanted to cover her ears.

"It's okay," said Hotch. "I know what people were saying behind my back. It's natural for them to have those doubts and fears."

"But… Hotch…" Garcia said, softly.

"Let's move on," he said.

The whispers became much harder to understand after that, though the murmurs didn't cease for a while. The took another corner, walking next to a huge ranch home, when Garcia's sharp gasp brought them back into battle poses.

"Here they come," she said, once more wrapped in Hathor.

The dancing Shadows appeared, bloody hearts hovering above them. But as they twirled and danced around them, their swords swinging through the quiet sky, the whispers returned, louder and much more vile this time.

_"He should know better…"_

_ "And did you hear? Even after all that… he's going back to work!"_

_ "So soon? His son has no chance..."_

_ "Not with a father like that…"_

Hotch tried to drown out the whispers. He held the Evoker to his head, but found it harder to summon the power that was coming. Next to him, Mitsuru had no problem summoning her Persona, who started to fire bolts of ice at the dancers.

"Don't let them distract you," said Mitsuru. "It requires utmost concentration to properly Summon. If you can't focus, you can't use your Evoker."

"I… understand," said Hotch. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and, resolution filling him, pulled the trigger.

Odin charged out of the spiraling pieces of his psyche, and immediately began to spin his spear above him. Almost instantly, bolts of electricity struck the dancers, who were too busy dodging Mitsuru's onslaught to notice. All but one faded immediately, though the final dancer went down when Yu sent a strange, dog-snake persona with an exposed brain snarling through the center of the floating heart.

"Nice job! I didn't even get a chance to fully analyze them," said Garcia. "But, just so you know, if we run into them again, they can dodge Ice attacks and are susceptible to Fire and Light."

"Look," said Yu, kneeling down. "They dropped some swords."

"This is a fine rapier," said Mitsuru, picking up the blade and testing the springiness. "It will suit me well."

"It's not really the style I need," said Yu, picking one up for himself. "But it beats fists…"

"Hotch, are you going to take one?" asked Garcia.

"I still think my gun is more of an asset," he replied. "Let's move on."

They only got a little bit further down the road before the sound of police sirens filled the air. The murmurs in the air around them got louder, more frantic.

_"I thought their house was empty?"_

_ "What's gonna happen to the kid?"_

"_They're saying he's an FBI agent!"_

_ "Why would they move here? This is a peaceful neighborhood!"_

_ "What will I tell my children now?"_

"Cops?" asked Garcia, suddenly.

All around them a ton of cops came towards them. They were behemoth Shadows, with an enormous hole in their stomachs. A key spun around in the inside of the hole. They shuffled toward them, making horrible squelching noises as they walked.

"Garcia, how many are there?" asked Mitsuru.

"A…about 40, Kirijo-san!" replied Garcia, breathlessly. "But they're all very similar; let me finish my scan…"

"Quick as you can, Garcia," said Hotch, watching as some of the officers began to cock their guns.

"Got it! You won't believe this, but they're weak to electricity!" Garcia exclaimed, excitedly. "No resistances… and they will only use physical attacks!"

"Odin!" roared Hotch, pulling the trigger.

"Let's go, Thor!" cried Yu.

The two Personas immediately stared an onslaught of powerful electric magic, which struck down a large number of the Shadows to begin with. Mitsuru sent Artemisia on her own rampage. Although the ice didn't harm them nearly as much, it did freeze some of them up, which was a blessing when the others started to fight back. They would let loose with a rampage of bullets, many of which were absorbed by the Personas.

"Guh!" Hotch coughed as he felt the pain of his Persona getting struck.

"Ugh…" Yu moaned, falling to one knee.

"K-keep fighting," Mitsuru said. "I'll handle Support…"

At Mitsuru's urging, Artemsia turned to the others' Personas, raising her hands so that she focused on Odin and Thor. A white, gentle light radiated from her hands, surrounding and refreshing the Norse Persona. Hotch and Yu could feel the relief flowing through them as well, and they stood up and renewed the lightning storm that took out each Persona one-by-one.

Garcia kept a running tally of which ones were stronger and which ones were weaker, which ones were stunned or shocked, and which ones were planning a strong attack. She also let them know as the number of enemies slowly decreased, finally cheering when the final Shadow fell.

Hotch and Yu, both breathing heavily, bent at the waist to catch their breath. Mitsuru, wiping sweat from her face, walked over to join them.

"How do you two feel?" she asked.

"Tired… it's tough to Summon the strong ones with little practice…" Yu said.

"And that many Shadows at once…" Hotch muttered.

Garcia hurried over, tripping over her sandals. "That was amazing you guys! I'm so proud!"

She beamed at them, practically shivering with glee. Hotch straightened up, as did Yu. Something about Garcia's face, a mask of utter adoration and glee, seemed to make them forget just how exhausted they were. Mitsuru, too, seemed in higher spirits. She turned to survey the area.

"We ran down the street a bit as we fought them," she commented. "Agent Hotchner, how far are we from your house?"

Hotch glanced around and his eyes instantly found the home he and Haley had shared. He swallowed hard and pointed it out. Slowly, the subdued group walked toward the home, past the garden and towards the front door. They started to hang back as Hotch approached the doorway. He took a deep breath and opened the door, a rush of air and a horrible scream escaping as it opened up. Behind him, the others raised their weapons, and followed him inside.

It was just as bad as he'd expected. The house was a wreck; everything was cracked or completely shattered, with holes in the wall and many of the lights broken. But the worst part was the blood. It was everywhere, even more than Hotch remembered seeing when he was there. His stomach began to turn as the horrible events of that day played through his mind again. Garcia grabbed his arm, her eyes wide with terror. Something was close by.

Hotch held his breath, held his gun out at the ready before him, and turned the final corner into the dining room. As he entered the room, his eyes widened in horror and his legs almost gave out beneath him. Garcia let out a little shriek, which brought Yu and Mitsuru around the corner, their own weapons pointed directly at the figure before them.

"Hello, Aaron. It's been a while," said the figure before them, his voice an unsettling mixture between cold, dangerous, and strangely upbeat."

Hotch, his arm shaking slightly, felt a cold sweat break out all over him. He licked his lips, dry from fear, and managed to croak out the only thing his mind could process.

"_… Foyet…"_

**Author's Note:**

**Stay tuned.**


	9. Chapter 9: Hellion

**Author's Note:**

**-insert generic "Sorry for the short chapter" excuse here-**

Chapter Nine: Hellion

"But… that can't be… you're dead," Garcia said, her hands shaking at her throat.

"Yet here I stand. Strange… isn't it?" Foyet said, chuckling.

"Who is this man?" asked Mitsuru. "Garcia, is he a Shadow?"

"I… I'm not sure," said Garcia. "But he's evil… I know that much."

"Come now… 'evil' is such a subjective term… to you I'm evil, to me… I'm perfectly normal," he said.

"Cut the bullshit, Foyet," Hotch snarled. "It won't work here."

"How very rude of you," said the Reaper, frowning. "After all, Aaron, the reason I'm here… is you."

"Yes," said Hotch, stepping forward. "I sent you to Hell and I would do it again, given the chance. Clearly, it hasn't stuck."

Foyet merely chuckled, stepping out from behind the splintered remains of Hotch's old dining room table. He had no weapons on him, but that didn't assuage Hotch's fears in the least. When dealing with the Reaper, one could never be too careful about what could be coming his way.

"Now, now, Aaron…" said Foyet, his twisted smile playing across his face. "You're not letting me finish. What I meant is… the reason I've turned up here in this house is because of you. I am a part of you. I am always with you."

"Nonsense," replied Hotch, revolted by the thought. "You aren't a part of me-."

"Agent Hotchner, wait!" cried Yu.

"What is it?" he asked, not taking his eyes off Foyet's smirk.

"He's a Shadow… and a powerful one at that…" Garcia muttered.

"Yes… this is just like before… he's your Shadow… the part of you that you don't want to face," Yu explained.

"Shadows… a part of us…? That… is horrifyingly intriguing," Mitsuru muttered. "We knew that they were originally born of human emotion, but to manifest as a part of a human's psyche…"

"He speaks the truth, Aaron," said the Reaper, slowly moving forward. "You know I've never left you. Why don't you tell them, then? About the times you wake up, crying and shaking. The nightmares. The difficult questions form Jack. You know… he and Hayley are here… and I could easily kill them both again…"

"Don't you dare," said Hotch, his voice dropping to that dangerous level. Then, he glanced at Garcia. "Do you detect anyone else here?"

"No," said Garcia. "Just us and Foyet."

Foyet chuckled. "I doubt you can sense them. But, no matter, once I destroy you, I can take my time with them… carve them up just the way I used to..."

Hotch took a swing at Foyet, striking just below the left eye. But as he did so, he felt as if he himself had been struck in the face; his cheek throbbed. Foyet merely laughed at this as Hotch, again, struck the man, this time feeling the wind knocked out of him. Foyet, though doubled over, didn't lose the smirk on his face.

"See? I've told you before, Aaron, we are one in the same. I am a part of you," said Foyet.

"Narukami. What's going on? Why can't I hit him without getting hit myself?" snarled Hotch, struggling to regain his breath.

"… it… may be that you have to reject the Shadow…" muttered Yu, his brow furrowed in concentration. "That's how we defeated the Shadows of our own in the TV world. Reject them, they become their own beings… and then we can destroy them that way. But they also get incredibly powerful."

Garcia shifted uncomfortably in Hathor's Technicolor bindings. "And… if I may be cliché for a moment, though I doubt any of you understand this… his power level is already off my charts… you could say it's… over 9000…"

There was an awkward pause where Foyet, Hotch, and Mitsuru looked confused, and Yu just sighed. Garcia cleared her throat awkwardly and instead turned to face Hotch.

"So, Aaron… do you think you'll be able to defeat me, once you've released me? Do you truly believe the darkness, the constant doubt and fear you hold within you, can be defeated by your pitiable sense of 'justice?'" taunted Foyet.

"I do," said Hotch. "No matter what you say, no matter how many times hitting you hurts me… I can say with utmost certainty that _you are not me_."

Foyet began to laugh. And the laughter continued to grow stronger as he became surrounded in a dark mist. The walls around them trembled as the energy of dozens of Shadows broke through, entering Foyet's body. Soon, he was nothing more than a black silhouette with demonic, glowing eyes. Garcia grunted in frustration.

"I… I'm sorry, I can't do a clear reading on him," she said. "He's too strong… I can't see his weaknesses…"

"It's okay. We'll find them out ourselves," said Hotch.

"Don't be a fool, Aaron," said the Reaper, his voice echoing with a low and dark growl. "Embrace the dread within you… let yourself be consumed by it… you know it's only a matter of time anyway…"

"ODIN!" roared Hotch.

A bolt of electricity struck Foyet, who grunted and stepped back. His lips formed a smile as red as his eyes, and he muttered something demonic under his breath. With a flash, he was surrounded by a blue dome, which blinked out in front of them.

"I see you will not listen to reason. Very well, then. Good-bye, Aaron," said Foyet.

A blast of ice ripped through the air, striking Odin. The Persona was knocked back into a wall, and Hotch followed, slamming against a china cabinet. He groaned as he climbed to his feet. Already, Mitsuru was having Artemsia heal him, and Yu was charging at him with a huge, hulking Persona that reminded Hotch forcibly of an ancient clay pot.

"You have to be careful; he can attack with ice!" Garcia exclaimed.

"Thanks, Garcia," grumbled Hotch, shaking his head as the healing light surrounded him. "Anything else you'd like to announce?"

"I think he can use fire as well, so you should be careful as well, Kirijo-san," said Garcia.

"I shall do that. Any info on weaknesses?" asked Mitsuru.

"It's… it's strange, but I thought electricity, but Hathor's showing him as being highly resistant to it. I don't know what's going on… but Yu's fire doesn't seem to be doing much…" said Garcia.

They saw Foyet dodge Yu's sword attack, but when his Persona sent a wall of flame into the Shadow, it only seemed to hurt a little bit. Instead, Foyet merely grinned and sent a blast of ice at Yu and his Persona, who groaned as they were slammed back. Hotch ran forward and took out his pistol, aiming at Foyet's face. The Reaper turned to him and the terrifying grin spread back across his face.

"Come now, Aaron… you know bullets won't work on me," he said.

Hotch didn't let him answer and instead began to open fire. Foyet recoiled a little as each bullet hit him, but it didn't seem to do much to him. When Mitsuru fired a Bufudyne at him, it barely seemed to make a scratch. A frustrated Garcia announced that his strength had returned and the damage they were doing was minimal.

"Clotho!" cried Yu.

The burst of wind caught the Reaper by surprise, but he immediately countered with what Garcia called an Agidyne spell, which knocked Yu to the ground. Mitsuru jumped over to cover him, and Hotch tried again with Odin, this time sending the Persona roaring forward with his spear. Foyet smirked and dodged the spear, grabbing Odin by the neck. Hotch suddenly felt his breath restricted.

"Now, Aaron, you should just relax… here… I'll help…" said the man.

Hayley's scream began to replay in his head. He could hear Jack crying out for him, his team members calling for him, and, through it all, Foyet's face as he prepared to slip the knife into Hotch's body once again…

"HOTCH!" screamed Garcia, her voice louder and clearer than the others. "Snap out of it!"

"What's wrong with him?" he vaguely heard Mitsuru's voice. The echoes bounced off his skull.

"He's too afraid… his vitals are all over the place, I don't think he's responding right…" Garcia's voice fell in and out.

"Damn," snarled Mitsuru. "Artemsia doesn't have the skills to cure that…"

"Hurry… hurry…" taunted Foyet into Hotch's mind. "For the Fear will be the death of him…"

Something was coming. A distant wail, cutting through the world around them drawing closer. Hotch could feel his chest tightening as his heart raced, far beyond what it should have been able to do. Whatever it was, Hotch knew, it was too horrible to even think about… and he knew that, once it go there, it was all over for him.

"You'll see Haley soon," said Foyet. "Send her my regards."

"ME PATRA!" cried Yu.

Just as the wail was about to reach its crescendo, Hotch's mind cleared. He fell to the ground as a wave of darkness rushed over him, the wail more of a distant whisper of wind. He stood up, though shakily, and was surrounded by the healing light from Mitsuru again.

"Are you okay, Agent Hotchner?" asked Mitsuru.

"I… what was that…?" asked Hotch.

"He can cause great fear in your soul, crippling fear, even," said Mitsuru, kneeling next to him.

"And he can use it to his advantage… to kill… whatever that spell was, Hotch, you almost died," Garcia said, practically in tears.

"Very clever, little boy," said Foyet. "But I think it's time to end this charade."

He raised his arm and a wave of dark energy encircled Yu. Garcia screamed at him to run, but Yu couldn't move in time. The dark glyph sealed around him, exploded, and, with a cry, Yu fell to the ground.

"NO!" shrieked Garcia.

"Heh heh heh… never stood a chance," said Foyet. "Now, onto you…"

"Wait a minute… Hotch! Strike now!" screamed Garcia. "Electric!"

"Odin!" Hotch wasted no time in shouting.

A peal of thunder and a bolt of electricity struck Foyet, knocking him to the ground. Mitsuru stepped forward.

"The enemy is down. Let's finish this," she said.

"Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Get him while he's weak," said Garcia.

Odin and Artemesia, as well as the bullets and sword pierces from Hotch and Mitsuru, rent the darkened, shadowy flesh of Foyet. By the time he could recover, he was covered in angry little red marks, punctures, and cuts, the same shade as his eyes. He swore and stumbled backwards.

"Heheh… now I understand…" said Foyet. "I've got your moves figured out… now… you will die…"

He was surrounded by the blue dome again, which flashed and disappeared. Garcia gasped. He had increased his electric resistance again. They were preparing for another cycle when, quite suddenly, Yu leapt up from the ground.

"Electric Break!" he shouted.

"What?" came the surprise shout from Foyet, as the blue area around him seemed to collapse.

Even before Garcia could tell him to, Hotch had Odin already charging another, powerful bolt of electricity. It struck Shadow Foyet directly in the head, once again knocking him down. This time, Mitsuru, Yu, and Hotch all teamed up to take out the already destroyed Foyet. When their onslaught was finished, he lay in a heap on the ground.

"So… this… is how it ends… again…" he muttered. "Nothing… but a bloodbath… on the altar… of your family…"

Hotch didn't say anything, staring down at the prone, disfigured corpse of Shadow Foyet.

"You have to accept him," Yu said. "It's a part of you, yes… it doesn't necessarily define you, though."

"You're correct," said Hotch. "Foyet. You will always be in me. But if you think I'm going to let you take me over, you are sorely disappointed. I already said it, didn't I? I've sent you to hell once before, and I'll do it every time you rear your head in my life."

The Reaper merely gave him a sound halfway between an impatient sigh and groan, before he began to disappear. Once he was completely faded away, the air around Hotch's house grew brighter and less dense. Then he saw just how much damage was done to the house itself. One wall had all but collapsed, and any remaining furniture in the room had been reduced to kindling or ashes.

"I… don't sense anyone else here," said Garcia. "I think it's safe to move on."

"Yes. I'd like to vacate this place as quickly as possible," said Hotch, turning and leading them out of the house. Nobody spoke for a while.

"How do you feel?" asked Yu, finally breaking the silence.

"I feel fine, actually," said Hotch. "Considering what just happened, I'm not even that sore."

"That's amazing," replied the young man. "Normally defeating one's Shadow drains that person's energy for days."

"We should continue, then. Miss Garcia, did you say you sensed another of your party in that direction?" asked Mitsuru, pointing off into the wires and mist.

"Yes. I think it's Morgan. He's not alone, either, but I can't tell who else is there with him," said Garcia.

"Good, at least he has company, in case his own Shadow shows up," said Mitsuru.

"Actually… I'm pretty sure Morgan is the opposite of happy about that," said Hotch, with a sigh. "Let's go meet up with them and… I guess we'll go from there."

**Author's Note:**

**-Insert generic "please stay tuned" message here-**


	10. Chapter 10: Shame

**Author's Note:**

**Hey! Look at that, finally have an update. Sorry for the ridiculously long time it took to get this written. On the plus side, it's a longer chapter, so you have more to enjoy!**

Chapter Ten: Shame

They rushed through the world around them. After they got away from Hotch and Hailey's neighborhood, it returned to white-shining lights and distant, hanging wires they'd seen when they first entered. Progress was slow because they had to stop and let Garcia summon Hathor every few minutes, and, sadly, the Persona was utterly incapable of travel. Mitsuru was unable to sense them with Artemsia at first, although she was able to take over when they got much closer. Slowly, the wires began to disappear, and the smell of mildew began to grow.

"It smells like a high school locker room in here," said Mitsuru, wrinkling her nose.

Garcia and Hotch exchanged horrified looks. This was even worse than they'd expected. It definitely made them pick up the pace, though, and it wasn't long before they began to see wrecked lockers and discarded sports equipment and uniform pieces sitting all around the floor. They came to a halt and began to look around. Garcia brought out her Persona again, and she and Mitsuru began to scan.

"I sense someone," said Garcia. "Yeah… that's definitely Morgan… and there's some others, but I can't say for sure who it is, but it's good people."

"Artemisia is picking up another support-based Persona," said Mitsuru. "But it's not Yamagishi, so I assume it can only be your friend, Narukami."

"Probably Rise," said Yu, nodding. "I understand. We have to go help them."

"Be careful, though, there are lots of strong Shadows and demons in here," said Garcia.

They began to walk down the locker-lined hallways. The further in they went, the more dense the steam god, and the higher the locker walls grew. There were whispers starting again, building up around them, but they couldn't clearly make anything out. That told them that they had a way to go, and they stopped again to let Garcia focus with Hathor once more.

"This place is very familiar…" said Yu.

"How do you mean?" asked Hotch.

"Well…" said Yu, obviously uncomfortable. "One of our friends… Kanji, the really tall one… his Shadow was in a place like this…"

"A dirty locker room?" asked Mitsuru.

"No, a bathhouse, but the air seems pretty similar…" said Yu, shifting uncomfortably. "I wonder of Kanji and your friend are both…"

"I doubt it's what you're thinking," said Hotch, flatly. "Morgan's really not going to like this…"

"He's this way," said Garcia, pointing to the right. "It's still a ways of, but we're about to enter the danger zone."

They followed the path to the right, keeping their eyes sharp and Evokers out. As they descended into the mist, the voices finally started to get louder.

_ "Hey Coach how'd we do today?"_

_"Good job today, guys, I'll see you after school tomorrow."_

Hotch felt his stomach churn and Garcia had a look of revulsion on her face. They knew that voice well.

_"Oh, hey, hold up a second, Darnell… I want to talk to you…_"

They tried to block it out, but it wasn't working. The voice of the adult man seemed friendly and outgoing, but they knew better.

_"He's so good with those kids!"_

_ "I know! We're so lucky to have him in town."_

_ "Yeah, without him I know most of these kids would be doing drugs or joining the gangbangers… good for him!"_

"He's _not!_" cried Garcia, frustrated.

"Get ahold of yourself, Garcia," said Hotch. "I need you on your toes here."

"R-right, sorry… I know they're not real I just… it makes me so mad," hissed Garcia. "Okay… just ahead… there's some blips on my radar so I think they're Shadows… but I can't say for sure what they are…"

They made their way cautiously forward, and, suddenly, they saw the cloud-like Shadows appearing through the haze. They blended in well with it, as their Arcana masks faded in and out, while they seemed to give off a haze of their own. The swirled around the members of the group, and they were quickly surrounded.

"I think there's a little over a dozen, but more are coming!" Garcia exclaimed. "I'm scanning, but it's hard to really tell with all this fog… give me a minute!"

"Quick as you can, Garcia," said Hotch, placing the gun to his head. "Until then, let's go, Odin!"

Odin ran forward and, with his arm bunched into a fist. He tried to punch through the clouds… but, unfortunately, his arm went straight through them, and did no damage. Likewise, Yu's sword-carrying Take-Mikazuchi did no damage, either. The clouds began to spiral around, and small chunks of ice began to erupt around them again.

"Didn't expect that; thought it was too warm here for ice," said Hotch, after he recovered from the painful crush of ice.

"Yes… I would imagine ice will be ineffective as well," said Mitsuru. Still, she tried to fire a block of ice into one enemy. Predictably, it absorbed it.

"Okay, got it!" Garcia said. "The clouds are weak to wind spells, but null all types of physical attacks… and absorb ice… I think."

"Titania!" shouted Yu.

The fairy appeared and, with a little giggle, it blasted the area with bursts of green wind, clearing away the fog momentarily as all the Shadows disappeared. The group pressed on, but Garcia brought them to a halt to scan again, and she immediately found stronger enemies not much further ahead.

"It's one of those… wrestler guys… with the speedo," said Garcia, again sounding revolted. "Stand by…"

They appeared out of the haze and, cackling, charged up an attack with the red electricity around them. Mitsuru called out Artemsia, who used what she called a "Tentarafoo" spell, and the spinning sparkly colors encircled three of the four huge Shadows. Hotch went after the fourth, but was surprised when the beast deflected Odin's spear and counter-attacked with a blow to Odin's head that knocked both him and Hotch back.

"Be careful! They can counterattack!" warned Garcia.

"It'd be nice if you'd say so before it happened…" muttered Hotch, shaking his head to clear it.

"I'm sorry! Hathor's doing her best; I'm still getting used to all this!" replied Garcia, breathlessly. "They're very strong… and they charged up their attack power… but they're weak to Light and Electricity!"

Before they could react, the only non-confused Shadow let out a bellow and a bolt of light shot through the battlefield. The Persona-users winced, preparing for impact, but nothing seemed to happen.

"What happened?" asked Mitsuru.

"I'm getting a weird reading… it somehow charged you all up a little, and I don't quite understand how…" said Garcia.

"I think I know… Odin!" Hotch commanded.

The spear drove true, this time striking the monster squarely in the abdomen. The beast toppled to the ground.

"A blow to the weak spot! Excellent attack," said Mitsuru, nodding approvingly. "Artemsia, follow it up!"

The explosion of ice kept the Shadow down, and he looked dizzy. He struggled to stand, but couldn't. Yu, meanwhile, summoned a skeletal monk, and a circle of light blew up in the enter of the battlefield, destroying the remaining Shadows.

"Good job, guys," said Garcia. "But… Yu… I think you should take it easy, you're starting to look fatigued…"

"S-Sorry," replied Yu. "It's been a while."

Mitsuru healed everyone, and the group continued down the rows of lockers, further into the misty, foul-smelling place. The further they went, the danker it became, and the light seemed to begin to fade as well. Garcia told them that they were getting close when another voice rang out.

_"Who do you think you're fooling, Derek? Without me, you've got nothing…"_

There it was again... that gut-wrenchingly awful voice.

_"Do you think anyone would believe you…? A troubled teen, versus me, the savior of this entire neighborhood? Don't you want to get out of here? Make a name for yourself…? Avenge your father…? Make your mother proud…?"_

"I'm… starting to feel very ill-at-ease about this whole thing…" Mitsuru said, interrupting the echoes. "Do I… want to know what happened here…?"

"You really don't," Garcia responded.

"This… is not at all like what it was with Kanji…" Yu muttered.

Hotch had them move on, as the whispers got louder. At times there would be other echoes, of the young men targeted by the demon whose voice whispered tender threats to the four as they worked their way deeper into the haze. Hotch couldn't help but wonder how many of those whimpers and quiet curses were from Morgan.

"We're… we're almost there," Garcia finally muttered. "I can sense several people ahead… but it's not the same reading as the Shadows."

"Prepare for battle," said Hotch, making sure to ready his Evoker and his other gun as well. "I don't want any surprises."

They cautiously walked forward, and it wasn't long before other voices reached their ears. But these weren't the whispers of the Shadow or the fragments of memories hidden in the haze. These didn't echo.

"…. You bastard! I'll kill you with my bare hands!" the furious screams of Morgan met their ears. "LET GO OF ME!"  
>"Now, now, Derek, you must calm down," admonished the demonic voice. "You're going to get into trouble and wind up in jail. Is that what you want?"<p>

Hotch led the group further into the haze until they burst into a wide, bare area. The haze lifted enough for him to see the scene before him. Morgan, thrashing, trying to get at the Shadow that haunted him standing twenty feet away. Restraining the angry profiler was Akihiko, who was sweating and struggling to hold him back, while Rise and Naoto did what they could to help hold him back. At their feet, the dog Koromaru growled at the Shadow, and then stopped when he sensed the arrival of the others.

"Morgan!" cried Garcia. "Are you okay?"

"G-Garcia? Hotch! How'd you…" Morgan was suddenly struck dumb and ceased fighting for a moment.

"Agent Hotchner, we've run into a problem," said Naoto, rushing over to them, her breath gone from the effort of holding back Morgan. "Rise had done readings, and apparently this man you see is a—."

"Shadow from Morgan's psyche, right?" asked Hotch.

"How'd you—?"  
>"We just came from defeating mine," said Hotch, striding forward. "Sanada, please release Agent Morgan."<p>

"A-alright, but…" said Akihiko, loosening his grip on Morgan. The latter didn't fly straight at the Shadow before them, though; he was still dumbfounded by the arrival of the others.

"Morgan, are you okay?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah… but… this bastard…" said Morgan, turning. "He's been… saying things…"

"Things that you know to be true, Derek," said the Shadow, half-sternly and half-demonically. "You can't deny the debt you owe me."

"Carl Buford," said Hotch, turning to face the man. "Do you deny the allegations of assault you've inflicted on Derek Morgan, and countless other young men in your care?"

"Shut up, Hotch!" yelled Morgan. "Nobody else needs to know that."

"Assault? I would hardly call it that," said Shadow Carl, narrowing his eyes at Hotch. "After what I've done for them, it's the least they can do to repay me…"

"You're a sick, twisted bastard," said Morgan, seething. "I'll kill you with my bare hands!"

He ran forward and punched Carl in the face, but the blow knocked him backward. Hotch winced. So… he hadn't rejected him yet. That was probably just as well.

"Garcia, anything?" asked Hotch, turning. He was surprised to see both Hathor and Himiko, as well as Artemisia, standing behind their Summoners, each frantically scanning.

"Nothing yet. Though his power level is high, it's mostly dormant. I don't think anything's going to happen until he's released…" said Garcia.

"Very well," said Hotch, hating what he was about to do, but realizing it was necessary. "Carl. As you say, Morgan owes you a lot, for everything you've helped him with. As such… wouldn't you agree when I say that you are, in a lot of ways, responsible for the person Derek Morgan has become?"

"Hotch?" said Morgan, alarmed and horrified. "What's gotten in to you?"

"I would say that's a fair assessment," said Carl, smiling evilly. "And it's even more truthful to say that my grooming has made Derek Morgan exactly the way he is."

"Shut up…" Morgan said, crawling to his feet. "Both of you…"

"And in a way, you are a part of him, right?" asked Hotch, ignoring Morgan, but tightening the grip on his Evoker.

"Precisely… I'm glad someone understands, finally," said Carl, stepping forward and opening his arms, as if to embrace Morgan. "I'm a part of you, Derek. We are one in the same."

"Bullshit!" roared Derek. "There is no way in hell you are me! You are nothing more than a demonic bastard!"

There was a pause. And then the haze grew thicker, intermixed with black orbs of Shadow. Carl began to chuckle. Hotch heard Rise and Garcia both gasp. It was time. He held the gun to his head, ready to pull the trigger on a moment's notice. Even Morgan could sense something wasn't right, so he took a few steps back.

"I… am your Shadow, Derek…" said Carl, as he slowly was lifted into the air by the darkness. "Your true self. You cannot deny me… what we had… no matter how hard you try… we… are the same…"

"Incoming!" cried Garcia.

A huge circle of darkness began to encircle the entire area they were in. The dark glyphs appeared again and, before they could do anything, everything exploded in a blast of smoky shadow. With cries of pain, Mitsuru, Akihiko, Rise, and Naoto fell to the ground.

"They're unconscious!" wailed Garcia.

"Agent Hotchner, let's worry about them later," said Yu. "We have to take care of this Shadow first."

"Absolutely. Morgan, are you okay to fight?" asked Hotch.

"Don't have much of a choice, do I?" snarled Morgan. "That bastard won't get me!"

He pulled the trigger and Ares popped out, its face furious as well. To their surprise, they heard a howl and turned to see a huge, three-headed dog sitting before them.

"The… the dog has a Persona…" said Garcia. "And here I thought he was just a plucky team mascot. Well I'll be…"

"Garcia, what can you tell us about the Shadow?" asked Hotch again.

"Sorry, sorry!" cried Garcia. "Uh… I can't get a reading on a weakness, I think it might not have one!"  
>"I was afraid of that," said Yu. "We'll just have to be very careful about exploiting him…"<p>

Just as he said that, Koromaru gave off another howl. They were all surrounded by a flash of green light. The dog barked happily at them and jumped back and forth, very quickly.

"Your agility is up, by the way!" Garcia called. "I think the dog figured out how to do that."

"Good job, boy," said Morgan, turning to Carl. "Now… my turn…!"

Ares held his sword above his head, and a flash of orange light surrounded Morgan. Yu went ahead and summoned a floating cow, which surrounded all of them in a flash of purple light momentarily. Shadow Carl surveyed them and grinned.

"Five on one? Those are dirty tactics, and I thought I showed you how to play nice…" said Carl. "Well… no matter… I'll just have to teach you again, once this nonsense is over… allow me to even the odds…"

He snapped his fingers and, suddenly, three more large Shadows moved into the area. They had the shape of large-headed babies with flowers growing out of their forehead… but their faces are what horrified them. They were the faces of the boys murdered by Carl Buford in Chicago, back in the real world.

"You sick fuck!" roared Morgan, running forward. Ares' blade cut through the air and struck Carl, who grunted with pain and fell backwards. One of the dead-faced babies let out a high-pitched screech and Carl was surrounded by the healing light of a Dia-class spell.

"Garcia, what happened?" asked Hotch.

"Shoot… they all have different stats…" muttered Garcia. "Okay, don't panic, here's what we're gonna do: take out the Healing one first, or we'll be here all day and you'll exhaust yourself… I'll let you know the weaknesses as I get them…"

"Can the others heal as well?" asked Yu.

"No. I don't think so, anyway. I think he's got a trifecta of helpful creepy Shadow Babies to try and help him, but they each have different jobs…"

"She's very wise," said Carl, smirking. "I guess we should take her out first…"

One of the babies crawled forward, as if to attack her, but Koromaru jumped in front of her and an explosion of flame knocked the baby backwards.

"Good boy, Koro," said Garcia. "Incidentally, that particularly ugly Shadow is weak to fire."

Yu summoned Pyro Jack to help Cerberus and Ares spam fire onto it, promptly ignoring Garcia's orders to go after the healer. Luckily, Hotch paid attention and caught the Healing Baby off-guard, knocking him over. The third baby didn't attack and merely crawled over to Carl and began to cast the various buffs and such on him, and it wasn't long before the flashes of orange, purple, and green light hit him.

"All of Carl's stats have been raised! He's super more powerful now," Garcia informed them. "But… okay… I think I figured out what the weaknesses are… the Heal Baby is weak to Wind, but he's currently down… the Attack Baby is weak to fire, which you've got covered… and Buff Baby is weak to Ice. Sorry, Hotch, nobody weak to Electric."

"That's fine," said Hotch, sending Odin out again. "We've got this under… control!"  
>As he shouted the last word, Odin leapt high into the air and brought his spear down directly into the face of the knocked-over Healing Baby, and the Shadow exploded in a ball of orbs. Carl grunted in anger and focused his power around him. An explosion of fire ripped across the battlefield, striking everyone but only doing a bit of damage to Hotch.<p>

"Here!" Yu called, healing Hotch with a small pixie-looking creature.

"Not so fast," said Carl, suddenly.

He raised his hand high into the air and, surrounded by a red light, punched the ground. A wave of power rolled out around the battlefield, knocking Hotch and Yu off their feet. Koro dodged the attack, and they were all surprised to see Ares actually block the blast, and even more surprised when the Persona leapt forward and struck Carl with his sword, knocking him backwards.

"Oh… so Morgan can counter… I really need to write down your Persona abilities so I can keep track…" Garcia said, re-attaching herself fully to Hathor. "The Attack Baby is weak, but be careful!"  
>The baby crawled forward and leapt at Yu, who couldn't get up in time and was knocked spinning. Koromaru leapt out of nowhere, and they realized for the first time that he had a knife in his mouth. He cut the Attack Baby up pretty badly and allowed another burst of fire from Ares to finish him off. That left only two. Hotch ran forward and had Odin engage Buff Baby, while Morgan helped the dizzy Yu to his feet.<p>

"So… you've taken away two of my playthings…" Carl said, slowly. "That's all right… I'll just have to take Morgan back from you!"

He focused his hands in front of him, and the red-electric energy crashed around him. Garcia told them to be careful, as he'd charged up for a powerful attack. The Buff Baby, having nothing else to buff on Carl, crawled forward at remarkable speed and dove directly for Hotch, though he was able to dodge it. The baby was knocked off its feet, so Ares and Odin made short work of their prone enemy.

"Give it up, Buford! You are on your own now!" shouted Hotch.

The Shadow merely grinned. "Oh, am I now? Well, better even the odds a little more, then!"

He channeled some sort of Shadow energy before them and they were soon caught up in a flurry of blows and dust as they felt themselves being struck hard on every side of their and their Personas' bodies. When it was over, they were almost all keeled over, breathing heavily from the pain.

"Be careful! His Rampage can kill you," Garcia shouted. "Your health is critically low!"  
>"Narukami, we need you on Healing duty from now on. Can you handle that?" asked Hotch.<p>

"Yes, sir, I can," said Yu, nodding. "Come forth, Parvati!"

They were bathed in healing light again, and Hotch, Morgan, and Koro ran towards Carl again.

"Guys, just to let you know, your agility has returned to normal," Garcia said. "His stats are still strong, so I'd recommend preparing yourselves for battle in any way that you can."

"Go for it, Ares!" shouted Morgan.

Hotch was surrounded by the orange light, and he could feel his inner energy exploding with warmth and power. Odin rushed forward and punched Carl directly in the stomach, again knocking the Shadow back. Once he righted himself, he merely grinned at them once again.

"Very well, Morgan, if that's the way you're going to be… how about we let your little friends listen in on some of our previous encounters, hmm…?" said the Shadow.

The mist grew even thicker, and they began to hear whispers, though they couldn't hear any actual words. But Morgan began to twitch uncontrollably, and he suddenly let out an enormous roar of rage, losing his mind completely. He and Ares dove at the Shadow, cutting him up as Ares' blade blew through the skin of the Shadow. Garcia gasped, saying that Morgan was completely out of her control.

"Well, Agent Hotchner… dog… other young man… it's time to end this," he said, grinning.

He raised both of his arms and was surrounded by a sort of red, glass barrier of sorts. Garcia told them to hold back while she figured out what was going on… unfortunately, Morgan didn't seem to hear her and, still screaming expletives, he sent Ares in for another swipe with his sword. The barrier rebounded the sword swipes, sending them flying backward and into the entire group. With a cry, Yu fell to the ground again, while Koro, Hotch, and Morgan groaned and fell to one knee.

"No! Don't give up!" shouted Garcia. "He's weaker than he's letting on!"  
>"That's enough out of you!" roared Carl, focusing on Garcia. But, before he could, Morgan seemed to come to his senses.<p>

"You will not hurt her!" he hissed. "ARES!"

The same attack that ran across the ground and knocked them back earlier swept toward Carl, who swore when he was knocked on his ass, holding his head. Morgan looked at Hotch and Koromaru, and the latter nodded. They all dove in, guns and Personas blazing, and with a final explosion of fire and lightning, Shadow Carl fell to the ground.

"The… the battle's over…" said Garcia. "Carl's power has been broken."

"Hotch… why'd you do that?" asked Morgan, furiously.

"Because you had to defeat him… and you couldn't do that until you rejected him," said Hotch. "But now… you must accept him as part of you."

"What? First I gotta reject him, then fight him, then accept him? You've gotta be out of your mind! You know what he did to me," said Morgan.

"Before we came here, we had to go through Hotch's old neighborhood with Hailey," said Garcia quietly. "And… we had to face Hotch's Shadow… the Reaper."

"You… you did…?" asked Morgan. "But… he said he was me… and that…"

"He's had an effect on you, and it's a personification of your feelings of powerlessness and shame," said Hotch. "From what I can tell, it's only by overcoming these fears that we can hope to find and capture our UnSub, as embarrassing as it may be for us to go through."

"All right…" said Morgan, turning and walking to the Shadow Carl, laying prone on the floor.

"This… must be… so good for you…" said the Shadow, breathlessly. "To finally… have me… being the one… lying on the ground… at your mercy, for once…"

"Shut up," said Morgan. "You may have scarred me in ways I will never fully heal from, but you gave me the strength to catch the sons of bitches like you who prey on children. And, just like I did with you, I will make sure each and every one of them winds up in a place where the favor can be returned to them tenfold. And nothing you can say or do will ever stop me from that goal."

The Shadow gave one last sneer, and he began to slowly dissipate, back into the fog around them. Once he was gone, Morgan walked back over to the others. One-by-one, those who had been knocked out by the Shadow came to their senses, starting with Yu.

"Did… did we win…?" he asked.

"Yeah, thanks to your healing and help. Sorry we couldn't protect you the whole time," said Morgan.

"It's fine…" said Yu. "Honestly… whenever we explored the Midnight Channel, I never got knocked out… this is a new experience for me…"

"Don't feel bad…" said Mitsuru, grimacing as she climbed to her feet. "I haven't had this much trouble since the night we recruited Yamagishi to our team…"

"You were amazing as always, Senpai!" exclaimed Rise, hugging Yu. "And you too, Agents."

"Thank you, Miss Kujikawa," said Hotch. "Now… Garcia, where to next?"

"I sense someone about a mile and a half to our… I guess East, although I don't know how cardinal directions work here…" said Garcia. She pointed, with Hathor's wires hanging off her arms. "It's that way."

"Any idea who it might be?" asked Naoto.

"Not sure yet… I'd need to get closer…" said Garcia.

"All right. Let's get out of here," said Hotch.

They worked their way back through the dank locker room dungeon, and broke back out into the cleaner, brighter air of the Internet World. As they made their way along the blank landscape in the direction of Garcia's target, Naoto, Mitsuru, Rise, and Yu quietly discussed this new world and the possible ties it had for their own experiences with Shadows and Personas. The others remained silent, focusing on the fight they were soon to have as they made their way forward into the bright unknown.

**Author's Note:**

**Again, sorry for the long time it took to update this one. Hopefully the next chapter will be out sometime next week. As a reminder, I've got an update schedule (tentative of course) posted in my profile, so you can usually expect to know what's coming next and, hopefully, when!**


	11. Chapter 11: Regret

**Author's Note:**

**Only a month or so late with this! Sorry. For some reason these chapters are much harder to write than I'd expected.**

Chapter Eleven: Regret

By Garcia's direction, they continued through the bright world, following the wires as they made their way towards the closest blip on Garcia's radar. After what felt like an hour of walking, they finally saw an enormous structure loom out of the mist. As they approached, they saw that the structure was actually the steeple to a large cathedral with beautiful, stained-glass windows on the front. They had Garcia use Hathor to scan the area one more time.

"Okay…" she said, finally untangling herself from Hathor's wires. "There's definitely someone in there. I think it's Emily. And she has a couple of people with her I can't identify."

"Any sign of a Shadow?" asked Mitsuru.

"Well… it's strange, but I can sense three inhuman presences in there," said Garcia, biting her lip. "But… I can't tell exactly what they are."

"So… Emily is alone, fighting three Shadows?" asked Morgan, his eyes widening in horror. "We gotta hurry!"

"Agreed," said Hotch. "Everyone be on your guard, we don't know what we'll face in there…"

They ran up the steps of the cathedra and opened the large wooden doors. However, as everyone tried to step into the building, they found themselves crashing into some sort of invisible force field. It knocked them back and almost sent them cascading down the stairs.

"What gives?" asked Morgan.

"I don't know…" said Hotch, taking a few steps forward. He tried to step in and, to his surprise, found that he was able to. "It appears to be working now."

Yu, Morgan, Koromaru, and Mitsuru quickly followed him in. However, when Garcia, Rise, Naoto, and Akihiko tried to enter, they found themselves restricted from entry again, thrown back a few feet. Those who had come in cautiously made their way back outside, finding no resistance as they went.

"Okay, so… I suppose there's a good reason why only five of us can enter the building?" asked Akihiko.

"I… might have an idea, actually," said Garcia. "When you play Divinity and you run a dungeon, you can only have five people in a party... so since this world is based on the game, I imagine that rule is in effect."

"Okay, so only five of us may enter any given dungeon at a time," said Naoto. "This might be advantageous to us; with nine people, we could easily split up and search for two people at once."

"I… I want to stay here," said Garcia. "So… Rise-chan, would you mind spearheading the other group?"

"Not at all," she replied. "I'll have some difficulty locating your fellow agents, though…"

"Here, hook Himiko up to Hathor and we'll synch up so we can communicate," said Garcia. "The rest of you, decide who wants to go where."

"I'm going in here," said Morgan. "We know for sure Prentiss's in here and in trouble; she needs both our helps."

"I will stay with Rise, then," said Naoto. "Her Persona has an easier time reading me."

"Same for me, then," said Yu. "Sanada-san and Kirijo-san, how about the two of you stay with the agents?"

"Are you sure? We do have some overlapping here…" said Mitsuru, indicating Hotch and Akihiko.

"Yes, but you also work well together and know each other's' fight strategies," said Rise, whose Persona's antenna was wrapped in Garcia's Persona's colored wires.

"We'll be okay," said Hotch. "Between us, we only lack air, light, and dark."

"Oh, I guess that means we'll take the dog then," said Yu, picking up Koro who barked happily. "Fine. Be careful, everyone."

"Yes," said Rise. "Garcia-san, I'll be in contact with you. We're going to head to the next closest dot. See you soon!"

As the others headed back off into the distant wires and mist, the remaining five started into the church. Inside it was dark and dimmer than the outside, lit only by candles and more of the stained glass windows that ran along the walls. But, as they made their way slowly into the giant church, they realized that the glass didn't depict biblical scenes, but, rather, seemed to depict scenes of Prentiss' life.

"I notice the scenery in each changes," said Mitsuru, after Garcia pointed out the apparent subject matter. "Was she a traveler?"

"Yes," said Hotch. "Her mother was an ambassador and her family travelled quite often all around the world."

"She speaks something like six languages," added Garcia.

"I see… so why then a church?" asked Mitsuru.

"Hotch, this could be related to the case involving that priest," said Morgan.

"Right," said Hotch, who remembered the earful he'd gotten from several people after that fiasco. "I think I know who we'll be seeing at the end of this dungeon, then… but keep your eyes peeled regardless."

They continued down the rows, passing different windows that showed vague, faceless depictions of their friend's life and her adventures growing up. They seemed jumbled and weren't in any sort of chronological order. But some seemed more personal and private than others, and, as they walked, the BAU members did their best not to look closely at the pictures, lest they see something she didn't want them to know.

After a while, they reached a spiral staircase, that lead down. They could hear whispers echoing off the stone walls of the stairwell, not to mention felt a cool breeze blowing from there. They had to stop again and let Garcia scan the area; once the whispers started, they knew the Shadows weren't far away.

"Next floor down is crawling with smaller blips," said Garcia. "There's at least another level below that one, and possibly a third… but something's obscuring my vision further, so I'll figure it out when we get through…"

They were fortunate in that the path was straightforward, but as they reached the landing on the second floor, they found their vision, once again, clouded. The scent of incense caused Akihiko and Garcia to cough, but they got over the spell just in time for the arrival of their first group of Shadows.

"They look like… crosses," said Morgan.

They came from all angles and directions, surrounding them. Multi-colored crosses with weights balanced on either end floated almost lazily down from the ceiling, out from the walls, and up from the floors. As they solidified, they dropped to the stone floor. Garcia brought out Hathor as the others surrounded her, protecting a sort of protective perimeter.

"Okay… so, as luck would have it, each color represents a combination of strength and the opposing weakness…" said Garcia. "Unfortunately, they have literally every color combination, so it's going to take me a while to figure out what one is which… I doubt they'll give us that much time."

As if on cue, a cross with a red and blue weight was surrounded by a glow of orange. A small explosion of flame jostled Morgan, though he seemed fairly unaffected by it. He responded by sending Ares out to fire his own flame at the cross. Unfortunately the monster blocked it… so Morgan followed that up with Ares using his sword to cut the Shadow in half instead.

"Green and Red… weak to Electirc and Ice," announced Garcia. "Attack with Wind and Fire."

Soon, the dungeon was filled with blasts of electricity and the sounds of air freezing solid as Artemisia, Odin, and Caesar went to work. The crosses did their best to fight back, and soon it became a free-for-all. While the others worked on narrowing down the numbers of the Shadows, Morgan took over defending Garcia, sending Ares to attack any of the crosses who came to close to her or targeted Hathor.

"Blue and Yellow… weak to Fire and Wind, but attack with Ice and Lightning," said Garcia.

Akihiko took over protection while the others continued to fight. Mitsuru started to have Artemisia try and send the Shadows into a blind panic. It began to work, too; though the Shadows were fairly small and weak, the damage they could do added up. Morgan wasn't quite as gifted at quickly dispatching the crosses as the others were since Ares seemed unable to conjure up more than one ball of fire at a time. After about a minute of going one-by-one, Morgan simply had the Persona switch back to using his sword.

"Black and Red… weak to Light and Ice."

They quickly learned to take care when dealing with the crosses with black or white scales. They would often attack with the black glyphs or light cards they'd seen used earlier. The instant knock-out spells. Thankfully, their Personas seemed to do better at dodging them, especially after Akihiko sent Ceaser on a status-crippling rampage, lowering the Shadows' attack, defense, and agility in turn.

"You're making progress," said Garcia. "Uh… Red and Blue… attack with Fire and Ice, of course, and weak to… oh… no weaknesses… uh… be careful!"

Through her steady words of encouragement, their diligence, and only one scare where Mitsuru was almost caught in a light card, the Shadow's number dwindled until, finally, they disappeared entirely.

"The battle's over; no Shadows are left on this floor," said Garcia. "You guys did great!"

Hearing her earnest praise definitely helped energize them a little bit, though they were still breathing heavily. They began to walk through this floor, but the voices around them grew louder and clearer this time.

_"Hey… did you hear about Emily Prentiss…?"_

_ "That girl who got here what… two weeks ago? Three?"_

_ "Dude she's been around… and I do mean around… for like… two months now."_

_ "I heard she was with Cooley… and now she's got a kid…"_

_ "Oh no shit…? Hey, isn't her mom some big shot ambassador…? She's gonna be pissed!"_

The juvenile voices broke off, laughter consuming them. Silence followed this. Garcia stood there, horrified, while Morgan and Hotch just looked at each other, mouths agape. Akihiko and Mitsuru quietly cleared their throats.

"Hotch… did… you know about this?" asked Morgan.

"No… I had no idea Prentiss had a child young," said Hotch.

"I… don't think she did…" muttered Garcia, looking kind of sick. "Oh Em…"

"Let's keep going," said Akihiko, decisively. "Remember, things you hear are only the Shadows of their past talking… it doesn't change her."

"I know that, it's just… kinda shocking… you know, we knew all about what happened with her and Doyle, but we don't know much about her life as a child," said Morgan.

"And I'm afraid you might learn more than you want to," said Mitsuru.

They made it across the floor without further incident and moved on to the next level. The smell of incense was even stronger on this hallway, and the candles were somehow giving off a dimmer, darker flame. The distant tune of an organ could be heard coming from the far end of the long hallway, undoubtedly in the next stairwell.

Not five steps off the landing, they heard the disgusting, sloppy call of the Shadows. From out of the walls they came, the skewered twins draped in monk gear with large crucifixes attached to their necks. As they flew around the hall, their quiet cackles raised the hair on Hotch's neck. Around him, the other looked similarly distressed.

"They're trying to mess with your minds," said Garcia. "Be cautious about that."

Hotch wouldn't let it get to him, so he pulled the trigger on his Evoker and send Odin flying through the swarm. His spear was able to knock several of them back and even take out a couple of others, before the Shadows began to come after him.

"No you don't!" said Morgan, chasing after them and sending Ares to cleave some of them in half.

"Akihiko, move!" shouted Garcia, suddenly.

Akihiko, who had been sort of dazed, barely dodged a spinning set of twins whose skeletal legs tried to take off his head. Mitsuru didn't get the warning quick enough and they knocked her across the hallway, where she slammed into the wall. Hotch had Odin take out the ones that attacked her, but two of them slammed into Odin at the same time and Hotch found himself lying next to her with the wind knocked out of him.

"Hotch and Mitsuru need coverage," said Garcia. "Morgan, take the right side, and Akihiko, please take out the others. They have no strengths or weaknesses to speak of, but they're capable of a wide range of status ailments."

Because none of them had the proper skills to cure those types of ailments, they made sure to keep their minds as sharp as possible. After Mitsuru and Hotch were able to gain enough wind to stand back up and fight back, they charged back into battle. It only took a few more minutes to blast through the remainder of the Shadows before they broke through and headed for the stairs at the far end.

_"I'm scared…"_

The younger voice of Emily Prentiss reached their ears, bringing the BAU members to a halt. Akihiko and Mitsuru whirled around and tried to egg them on, but Hotch held up his hand. The echoes of Prentiss's past washed over them, her terrified whispers coming out.

_"B-Bless me father ,for… I have sinned…"_

_ "Why do you shake so, my daughter…?"_

_ "… and… and I don't know what I should do…"_

_ "There is only one decision you have to make."_

_ "B-but I'm only 15! I can't raise a baby, I'm not ready… and my mother will kill me…"_

_ "If you go through with the abhorrent ideas you are currently considering, you will no longer be welcome in this church!"_

Hotch winced as the thundering voice of her priest echoed through the halls. A young Prentiss's sobs replaced it, as the voice of another young man tried to calm her down.

_"I'm so scared Matt… I don't know what to do…"_

_ "It's okay. I know someone… he's a good guy, and he won't say anything…"_

_ "But… if I do this, I can't go back to the church…"_

_ "Don't worry about that right now… we'll figure it out…"_

The voices died down again.

"They're… on the next floor…" said Garcia, who was trembling. "Are… are you guys prepared…?"

Taking a couple of moments to steady themselves, the BAU members, Akihiko, and Mitsuru headed into the tower, with a spiral staircase leading to a sanctuary at the bottom. A steady cloud of foul-smelling incense rose up from the center, gagging them. Through the haze, they could make out brighter candles, but still couldn't see Prentiss or whoever… or whatever… else was with her. They hurried down the stairs, the light getting brighter and brighter, until they finally reached the bottom floor.

"Prentiss! Where are you?" Morgan called.

"M-Morgan…" came her reply, followed by coughing. "I-I'm over here…"

Everyone drew their weapons and charged through the incense. They finally found her, fallen to one knee. Standing next to here were the robot, Aigis, and the creature named Teddie. They were relieved; that meant two of the three inhuman dots weren't enemies. Aigis, however, seemed to have burned herself out and was lying in a heap on the floor.

"Prentiss, have you been injured?" asked Hotch.

"N-no… I've just… been hearing things…" said Prentiss.

"We've heard them too, Emily…" Garcia said quietly.

Prentiss' eyes bugged and she let out a strangled yelp. She fell backwards and tried to crawl away, unable to look at any of her teammates. Around them, the cloud of incense began to lighten up. Footsteps echoed off the stone floor. Everyone turned, their weapons trained on the new arrival.

"What foul demons have entered this place…?"

A man clad in his priest attire stood before them. His flowing capes rippled slightly, despite the lack of wind, and at his side he carried an incense burner, which continued to give off a putrid cloud of smoke. In his other hand, he carried a large crucifix.

"That's… that's that Priest… Paul Silvano," said Garcia, who had already wrapped herself in Hathor a fair distance back. "But… no… it's the Shadow. That's the enemy. I can't get a clear reading… Emily needs to reject him."

"R-Reject him? What do you mean?" asked Prentiss.

"You, child, are a murderer," said Silvano, calmly. "The stench of a mortal sin infests your soul… I am here to cleanse you of your vile ways and thoughts."

"Well by your definition, we're all murderers!" hissed Morgan. "How many people do you think we've shot and killed?"

"You were merely bringing the wicked to their just rewards," replied Silvano. "Whereas the woman that kneels before us… took an innocent life before it was given the chance to think for itself."

"No… stop…" muttered Prentiss. "You don't know anything… you didn't know me back then, and you don't know my thoughts…"

"Oh, but I do," said Silvano, smirking. "You were weeak… you did whatever anyone else asked so that you'd be accepted… but when things got too serious… you took the easy way out. And you killed your unborn child."

"But that's…" muttered Prentiss.

"So what if she did?" asked Morgan. "She was 15! Do you really think she could've raised a child with the way her mother moved around all the time?"

"It would have been a fitting punishment," replied Silvano. "But she chose to take an easier approach… the murder of a child… whom nobody but her knew about…"

"That's… not true… lots of people knew…" Prentiss said, and they were surprised to see tears falling down her face.

"But she feels really bad about it!" Teddie suddenly squeaked out.

"Of course she does," said Silvano, grinning. "But you didn't need to tell me that. I know exactly what Emily Prentiss feels… for I… am part of her."

"What…?" she asked, both sounding shocked and horrified. "No… you're absolutely not a part of me. You are a demon…"

"Do you reject me, then…?" asked Silvano, his voice dropping lower and lower with each word.

"Yes. You don't know me! You sure as hell aren't me!" snarled Prentiss, stumbling to her feet.

Silvano smirked, as small particles of Shadow began to encircle him, absorbing into his body and darkening him until only his red eyes showed. He began to chant, but none of them were able to understand what he was saying. Whatever it was, it obviously wasn't a language known to humans. He raised the incense burner and spun it around his head, sending the wave of incense over them. As they breathed it in, everyone began to cough. Garcia gasped.

"He's poisoned you!" she cried. "You have to be really careful about your health…"

"Damn…" hissed Hotch. "Can anyone heal?"

"Me~!" sang Teddie. "I'll be sure to get us out of this grizzly situation!"

But, before he could, Shadow Silvano turned and swung the incense burner at Teddie. The strike caught him off guard and knocked him over. He followed it up with one of the dark-glyph spells, which hit the prone bear, who passed out with a loud "Oh noooooo..."

"T-Teddies unconscious!" cried Garcia. "You'll have to hurry to defeat this guy…"

They didn't need telling twice. Everyone sent their Personas flying in to fight the demonic priest. With everyone both striking at the Shadow, along with their Personas, the small target made it tough to really get close to. Though they landed some hits on him, Garcia informed them that it wasn't nearly enough. The poison continued to work its way through their veins.

"You need to have someone doing all-time healing," said Garcia. "If you don't keep your strength up, you'll be dead within minutes."

"Akihiko and I will take care of that," said Mitsuru, leaping out of the fray but not before handing her sword off to Prentiss. "The rest of you, focus your attacks on Silvano."

Odin's spear pierced Silvano's side, ripping a piece of the Shadow essence out of him. Meanwhile, Ares' sword was blocked by the crucifix, while Apate blasted Silvano with ice. The priest leapt backwards and smirked.

"Very well," he said, abruptly switching back into understandable language. "It seems I will need all of my powers for this…"

He dodged a bolt of lightning from Odin and soared to a table far in the darkness. On an altar, a large tome with a bloody cross on the cover sat, and he levitated the book up and floated it over to him. He flipped to a certain page and began to chant again. He was surrounded by a multi-colored light.

"He's… raised everything," Garcia said, suddenly. "His offensive, defensive, and agility stats have just shot up."

"And now… I shall smite the wicked…" said Silvano.

Now armed with a spinning, self-page-turning book, he was able to really increase his array of spells. A blast of fire ripped through the misasma, nearly taking Apate out. Hotch and Morgan continued to supplement their Personas with fire from their guns, but the Priest seemed able to dodge them each time they tried.

"You… you guys…" said Prentiss, suddenly. "I'm falling back. I'm going to have Apate weaken his stats…."

"Excellent idea," said Hotch. "Start with his Agility; if we can't hit him, we can't do any damage."

"Got it… let's go, Apate!" shouted Prentiss.

Her Persona began to charge a light green power in front of her that soared above and struck Silvano. He grunted and they could see his movements got slower and slower. Meanwhile, Ares charged himself and Odin with the yellow-orange light, and Hotch felt the warmth of power spreading through his chest. This time, Odin's bolt of electricity struck true.

"Cleave, Ares!" Morgan yelled.

With a mighty swing of his sword, Silvano was struck near the same spot Hotch had stabbed him, and he grunted angrily again. Garcia told them that while they were hitting again, it wasn't doing as much damage as it could. So, Prentiss had Apate work on his defenses next. Silvano's face was screwed up in rage as he kept getting surrounded by a purple light this time, and Odin's next pierce attack struck truer and sent him spinning.

"Enough!" he roared, flipping through the pages of his book. "I'll destroy you with the fires of hell!"

A violent blast of flame roared through all of them. Morgan, thanks to Ares, wasn't nearly as phased by it, but Hotch could feel the burns all over him and Prentiss fell to the ground with a cry. Silvano smiled and followed up with a strike from the incense burner on a chain again, but before he could hit her, Caesar flew forward and took the brunt of the hit. Behind them, Akihiko fell to one knee.

"Akihiko and Emily are both super hurt!" cried Garcia. "And… the poison's making it worse!"  
>"Hang in there!" shouted Mitsuru, moving closer to cover them. "Artemesia will heal you."<p>

Prentiss crawled back to her feet and immediately returned to focusing the beams of light on Silvano, who seemed surprised by her quick recovery. Akihiko stood back and began to help heal again, and both Morgan and Hotch felt themselves awash in the rays of healing, soothing light.

"Keep at it, guys!" shouted Garcia.

Before they could react, they watched Silvano open the text again and, once more, he was surrounded by the multi-colored blast of light. A very frustrated Garcia told them that his stats had, once again, risen exponentially. Akihiko joined in with Apate on the status-decreasing spells, but Hotch and Morgan still weren't able to deal a lot of damage. As the only healer left in the party, Mitsuru was quickly taxed, and losing ground on the poison.

"Hotch, watch your health," said Garcia.

Hotch's muscles began to cramp up and he started to cough. He knew the poison was getting to him, but when Mitsuru cast another healing spell on him, it lessened to a dull pain and a mere tickle on his throat. But they weren't making any progress, and Silvano was still running circles around them.

"Embrace your death with dignity. Welcome the Lord into your hearts and pray for his mercy!" shouted Silvano, before returning back to his demonic chanting.

"That book… Morgan, can you have Ares set that book on fire?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah, if he holds still long enough," Morgan replied.

"Agent Prentiss, let's double up on Sukunda spells, okay?" suggested Akihiko, although he was quickly overcome with a bout of coughing.

"Got it… on three, then!" Prentiss replied, wiping blood off her face from a cut she'd gotten from a wind attack.

The plan worked. The double rays of green light really slowed down the demonic priest and Morgan was able to ignite the book. Before Silvano could counter that, Hotch took advantage of the distraction to knock the tome from his hands, where Odin drove his spear through it. Silvano roared in rage and raised his hands towards them. Below them, a huge, dark circle formed.

"It's Mamudoon! Run!" cried Garcia.

They ran for the edges of the glyph. Hotch, Mitsuru, and Morgan barely made it, but the explosion of shadow and blackness caught both Akihiko and Prentiss in it. The former fell to the ground with a cry once again, while Prentiss merely seemed adled for a moment. Apate had shielded her from the blast.

"You still survive…" said Silvano. "Very well… I shall end this now!"

He began to charge up some white light in front of him. He raised it above his head and allowed it to continue to gather more and more white particles, much like the Shadow bits they'd seen. Garcia informed them, quite calmly all things considered, that the power was much stronger than anything they'd faced before and, at their current health, would wipe them all out.

They ddin't let that happen. They instead spread out around the Shadow and sent their Personas flying at it every which way. Silvano could only focus on them so much; Apate's spells had really messed with his aim and defense, so each lighting bolt, bullet, slice, and punch brought him a little closer to death, disrupting his focus. Finally, Prentiss ran forward.

"Emily, wait!" cried Garcia.

"I've got this," she replied, coolly.

She held Mitsuru's sword in front of her and, with a ringing battle cry, she ran Silvano through right in his chest. The priest gasped and fell backwards, taking the sword with him. Around them, the incense began to let up and, as they coughed, small amounts of purple spit landed on the ground. Hotch could feel his muscles loosening and it became much easier to breath. The candles, too, shone more light around the room.

"You… would kill me… in the same way… as you killed your child…" Silvano muttered.

"I've made mistakes, yes," replied Prentiss. "But not a day goes by where I don't think about how my life could have been different. I'm not perfect. But you aren't going to be the one thing that defines me."

"Heh… you will never escape the guilt… I'm always with you… a part of you…" said Silvano.

"But only a small part, and one I can control," said Prentiss. "So... fine. You're a part of me. But you will not beat me."

With a sneer, Silvano faded, and Mitsuru's sword clattered to the ground. The freshly-woken Akihiko stumbled over to them. There was a bit of an awkward silence at first.

"… Look, I really don't want to talk about it…" said Prentiss.

"That's fine," said Hotch. "We're just glad you're safe, Prentiss."

"I'm sorry to ask this so quickly, but what happened to Aigis?" asked Mitsuru, indicating the robot.

"She entered something called… Orgia Mode…?" said Prentiss. "And she tried to attack a lot of the other Shadows that were down here… and it worked really well for a while, but then she kinda… overheated?"

"Oh…" said Mitsuru. "That's fine, then. Miss Garcia, do you sense any other Shadows in the area?"

"Nope. The way back out is actually pretty clear," said Garcia. "The poison clouds are gone, too."

"Very well," said Mitsuru. "I know you have other people to search for, however I can't leave Aigis like this. For the time being, we're going to part ways until we can cool her down enough to wake her up."

"All right," said Hotch. "We'll have Garcia and Hathor tell you where we are, then."

"I'll stay with them!" Teddie exclaimed, springing to a salute. "Aigis-chan will be lonely without me… and plus my Persona is able to pick up on signals and such from other Personas!"

"But… Artemesia can do that as—," began Mitsuru.

"Hurry along, hurry along!" said Teddie, pushing them back towards the stairs with surprising strength for what appeared to be a child-size bear. "We'll see you later!"

Bemused, Hotch, Morgan, Garcia, and Prentiss left the others behind and headed back out of the dungeon. They were all silent until they made it outside. Prentiss had been examining the stained glass windows as she walked but didn't comment until they were back in the shining "home" part of the world.

"So… yeah… sorry about all that," said Prentiss.

"Don't worry, we had to go through it with Hotch and Morgan," said Garcia, hugging her.

"Really…? Was it… anything like that…?" asked Prentiss.

"I… fought Foyet, and Morgan fought Carl Buford," said Hotch.

"Oh… wow… I'm sorry, guys…" said Prentiss. "And I made you go through that to get me…"

"No, don't worry about it," said Hotch. "Let's move on."

"Where's the next person, baby girl?" asked Morgan.

"North of here… going on my made-up directions, I mean," said Garcia. "It seems like the other group is almost to the dungeon of our other comrade. Let's take the other one."

"So it's either Reid or J.J., then," said Hotch. "Any idea who might be with them?"

"No," said Garcia. "Too far away to pick up on anything else."

"Let's go, then," said their leader. They walked away from the enormous edifice of Prentiss' church as it slowly faded back into the shimmering mist of the world.

**Author's Note:**

**I'm going to keep trying to catch up on my scheduled updates. It'll probably take a while till I get there, though. At least in August I go down to 2 updates/week so that should help. Stay tuned!**


	12. Chapter 12: Madness

**Author's Note – 7/29/2012:**

**A brief interruption in the hiatus to bring you this: a new chapter in –Mind Net-. I'm hoping to finish this one before the summer is over. Expect further updates mostly with this story. The Galaxies and Hogwarts Revisited will be put on hold briefly while this happens.**

Chapter Twelve: Madness

Following Garcia's instructions, they followed the spiraling wires above them towards the dot she could see on Hathor's sensors. Finally, they could see a large structure rising out of the distant mist.

"Reid's in there, for sure," said Garcia. "It looks like… a hospital."

The building was large and had a huge, red cross emblazoned onto it. At first glance it looked like it could have been a very nice hospital, with beautiful shrubbery growing around the entrances and several small benches to sit on. But, as they got closer, they could see a sign that read "Asylum."

"… Stay on your toes, we have no idea what we're going to encounter in a place like this," said Hotch, trying to ease his own fears.

They pulled open the large, metal doors and entered the reception area. It looked like a tornado had rolled through. The seats were upturned, scattered remains of potted plants were intermixed on the floor with chunks of wall, shattered glass, and shredded medical records. The instant they entered, they began to hear whispers, but they were so faint that there was absolutely no way to figure out where they were coming from, leastwise what they were saying.

"Where is he, Garcia?" asked Morgan, looking around.

"Well… despite what the hospital made it look like outside, this place actually only has one floor. I'm sensing Reid's Persona somewhere near the center," said Garcia. "But… it's a maze in here."

"Hotch, take a look at this," said Prentiss from over by one of the destroyed nurse's desks. "It's a map of the place."

The map was badly faded and scribbled on, as if one of the patients had tried to solve it, but Garcia had been right. It was a very intricate maze with lots of narrow hallways, dead ends, and sharp turns into places they wouldn't want to go. In the center there was an opening. Now they just had to find it. But the map was too damaged; it was hard to see which way to go.

"Maybe there'll be other ones further in?" asked Morgan.

"I'll have Hathor commit this one to memory and I'll try and trace through it," said Garcia, standing close to the wall and Summoning her Persona so that she could get a proper view. "In the meantime, I'm sensing Shadows scattered throughout the place. There's no high concentration, but we should still be very careful."

After Hathor was finished, they entered the maze. Immediately, they were presented with six different hallways. On Garcia's direction, they took the second from the right and began to follow it. The disarray of the hospital seemed worse with every corridor they traversed, as if that was even possible. Entire sections of wall were missing, and wires and lights hung down exposed and an obvious danger to anyone in the asylum.

After they hit three dead ends and with no activity from the Shadows, the BAU members started to get frustrated. Garcia was doing her best, but even with her Persona's scanning ability, the Hell seemed to be doing everything it could to throw them off.

"What if we can't get out…?" muttered Garcia, frantically. "Will we be trapped here with Reid not even able to find us…?"

"Get a grip, Garcia," said Morgan. "If that happened, Ares would just blast a hole through this place."

"… wait, why haven't we started doing that already?" asked Prentiss.

There was a pause, and Morgan grinned. He walked to the nearest wall and pulled the trigger on his Evoker. The explosion from Ares blasted a hole in the wall… and immediately revealed a handful of angry Shadows.

"I didn't even sense them until now!" cried Garcia. "This place is impenetrable!"

The Shadows danced and flew around them with little giggles. They appeared to be cupid-type, with tiny wings and bows. But their dark skin and blood red faces gave them an especially eerie look. One by one, they began to load up their bows, letting lose a flurry of pink arrows. One struck Odin before Hotch could react.

It was quite warm at the beach that day. Around him, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks soothed him, as breeze blew through his hair. Jack was playing by the shore, as Haley read a book in the sunlight. Hotch began to walk towards them, but as he did he saw a pack of wild dogs sprinting down the beach, heading right for Jack and Haley. He shouted at them to move, but they were too slow and the dogs were almost on top of them. Hotch rushed forward and struck the leader of the packing, sending him flying back. The other dogs backed off, looking at him with terror. Hotch roared with anger and dove at one on the left, which dodged him.

He was struck by something behind him, but when he turned he was surprised to see Haley holding a rock, getting ready to lob another at him. The vision around him got hazy for a second before it cleared up. He figured Haley was just aiming for the dog and had missed, but Hotch didn't. The next dog got thrown clean into the ocean, while another circled around behind them and tried to leap on Jack. Hotch let out another roar and dove at him, only to be hit in the side by another mutt.

Hotch slammed into the hallway wall of the asylum, shocked to see Prentiss standing next to him, bleeding a bit from her mouth. Morgan was slowly climbing to his feet just a bit down the hallway as Garcia continued to shout Hotch's name.

"He's back I think…" she said, finally calming down.

"What… but… the ocean…?" Hotch said.

"These enemies can Charm you," said Prentiss. "You were protecting them while attacking Morgan and me…"

"I… sorry," said Hotch, regaining his feet and seeing the cupids flying around. Despite Hotch's handicap, the others had managed to cut the numbers down.

"Damn Hotch… you and Odin hit hard," said Morgan, standing gingerly and touching his forehead, which was bleeding.

"My apologies," said Hotch. "Let's get rid of these."

When the final Shadow was gone, they took a breather. They didn't have a healer, so they had to just take it easy with the injuries they had. They began to make their way more cautiously back through the maze, retracing their steps close to the beginning and trying a new path. They never blasted through any other walls, but they still encountered several Shadows, including others that could put them in a state of absolute panic and a state of absolute terror.

"This is really doing a number on us," said Morgan, after a particularly nasty battle with a huge snake-type Shadow. Prentiss had been sent into a panicked fit, after which she was knocked backward into a wall.

"Your bodies are pretty hurt, so just… be careful," said Garcia. "I wish I could heal you..."

"Just having you around is healing enough for me, baby girl," said Morgan, patting her on the shoulder. "Any clue where we are?"

"Hey… look at this…" said Prentiss, picking up a map from under some debris. "We're… apparently, here, if this map is to be believed. So we shouldn't have much further to go."

"Good find," said Hotch, examining it himself. "Garcia, can you use this?"

"Yes," she replied. "Despite the dirt it's much less ripped and scrawled on than the other. Let's move on."

They continued deeper into the asylum. This one had no strange fog or incense, but, somehow, it made it that much creepier. It was also totally silent, minus their footsteps. No whispers, even vague ones, reached their minds. Finally, they reached a final, large door. Garcia scanned it and informed them that Reid was just beyond there. They took a couple of seconds to catch their breath and steeled themselves for what they'd find in there.

The moment they opened the door, they were met with a rush of air and screams. They pushed through it, and the door slammed shut with a lock behind them. Inside was another room, with a single bed in the center, and three figure standing a distance away from it. One single fluorescent light hung high above it, casting an eerie glow around the rest of the barren room.

Reid was on the floor, surrounded by two of the Inaba students, Kanji and Yosuke. They seemed to be trying to help him, calm him, but Reid merely continued to roll around the ground, holding his head as if he was in extreme pain. The BAU members rushed forward, but with all the screaming around them it was no wonder that neither Reid nor the others noticed him.

The screams above them were intermixed, but the chilling thought was that much of it seemed to be Reid's own thoughts. They heard random facts and snippets of passages from famous works, but they could also pick out personal conversations intermixed with worries for friends and family, the sound of doctors and tests, and of course his mother…

And for the first time, Prentiss grabbed Hotch's arm and pointed towards the bed. With her left wrist chained to the headboard and a huge tome in her right, Reid's mother, Diana Reid. She seemed to be ignoring them, and they could barely make out her voice over all of the others. When they finally got close enough to Reid that Kanji and Yosuke noticed them, Reid picked his head up and the voices died down almost completely, except for the voice of his mother, who continued to read.

"Reid! Are you okay?" asked Garcia.

"I… you shouldn't be here…" said Reid. "This place…"

"It's your Personal Hell," said Hotch, quickly. "Where is the Shadow? Have you defeated it?"

"Shadow…? Like… one of our own…?" asked Yosuke. "Is that what's in here?"

"And how did that old lady get in here?" asked Kanji.

"That's Reid's mother, actually," said Morgan. "I'll get her…"

"Morgan… wait…" said Garcia, shuddering. "That's… that's not Reid's Mom…"

"What…?" asked Prentiss.

"She's a Shadow, isn't she?" asked Reid, quietly.

"Now, Spencer, is that any way to treat your mother?" asked the frail-looking woman chained to the bed. "I believe I raised you better than that."

She stood up as best as she could with her wrist still chained to the metal rungs of the bed. Reid stood up and stared at her, terror in his face. It was as if they were having a silent conversation. Seeing as they were two sides of the same coin, that may have been the case.

"Reid? What's she saying?" asked Prentiss.

"She's trying to get me to crack… she says I'm weak…" said Reid. "And she's wrong."

"Well, if we're just gonna do it like that let's just talk it out in the open!" said Reid's Mom, kneeling on the bed. "Spencer… you know as well as I do that you're seeing your future. What about those doctor visits…?"

The room was filled with words and voices again, this time from the doctors alone. They talked about hereditary issues, schizophrenia, and the violent headaches Reid had obviously been suffering. There was even talk about drug abuse. With each new revelation, Reid's eyes grew wider, and his legs got weak. As he began to lose his footing, both Kanji and Morgan rushed to catch him.

"So do you understand what I'm saying now?" asked Reid's Mom. "I am your future. This is you, as you are, deep on the inside… and as you soon will be. You can't deny me."

"I can so," said Reid, his voice shaking. "I… I won't live my life like that… you are not me!"  
>They were already braced for it; as soon as the words left Reid's mouth, the air around them grew thicker, and shadow energy began to absorb into Mrs. Reid's body. Soon, she was covered in darkness, minus the glowing red eyes. She levitated a bit into the air and, to their shock, the bed followed her.<p>

"Very well… I shall make you believe!" she yelled.

The huge book in her other hands opened up and she was surrounded by a blast of the blue electricity. Garcia let them know that her magic attack power had more than doubled. With curses of rage, the BAU ran forward. Prentiss went to work trying to weaken her attack stats, while Morgan began to channel a defensive energy around them. Hotch ran to Reid, who still struggled to stand after Yosuke, Kanji, and their Personas went to join the fray.

"Can you stand?" asked Hotch.

"Yes… sorry… just… need to get… Thoth…" Reid muttered.

He pulled the trigger and Thoth leapt out, immediately surrounding Reid with the healing light. Reid, stronger now, stood up, and began to heal Morgan and Prentiss as quickly as he could. They stopped to thank him, but they paid for their distraction.

"Fare thee well!" roared Mrs. Reid.

A circle of white, shimmering light formed in the center, right below the bed, and crashed to the ground, sweeping across everyone with a powerful blast of energy. Taken by surprise and without any sort of buff, both Yosuke and Kanji fell to the ground. Luckily, between Reid's healing and the continued debuffing of Prentiss, they were able to survive the onslaught. Of course, that left only Hotch open to fully attack.

"You will not defeat me," said Shadow Reid's Mom.

Odin leapt high and drove his spear into the side of the bed, knocking her off balance. Ares followed it up with a slash, but Reid's Mom turned the whole bed at the last moment, severing the chain that bound her. With a cackle, she rose even higher into the air, and the be plummeted to the ground, nearly crushing Apate as it fell.

"No weaknesses," said a very frustrated Garcia. "And she can mostly resist Dark and Light, which makes even Thoth's powers useless."

"We'll just have to do things the hard way, then!" said Morgan, as he and Ares were surrounded by the rising flash of orange light. "You ready, Hotch?"

They timed their attack to hit right after another one of Prentiss' debuffs, and the attack caught the floating woman by surprise. So, she soared ever higher, until she was almost out of range of the others. She raised her hands and rained down a flurry of arrows, many of which missed but at least broke off the attack.

"I'm sorry I can't really help damage her," said Reid. "I'll just keep healing and buffing…"

His defensive buffs really helped mitigate the damage when Shadow Diana finally regrouped and started raining down various elemental spells and physical blasts of energy onto them. That, plus Reid's healing, easily allowed Hotch and Morgan to send Odin and Ares onto an offensive sweep, while Prentiss had Apate alternate between keeping the debuffs up and supplementing with attacks.

"Enough of this!" roared Diana, suddenly.

She was, in quick succession, surrounded by a sort of orange globe, a red one, and a blue one. Garcia gasped.

"Be careful… something's different about her. Her battle stats are all the way back to normal… and there's something else," said Garcia.

"What is it?" asked Prentiss.

"I can't say for sure. Please hold any direct damage attacks off for now," said Garcia.

The Personas floated high around the woman, but cautiously hung back. Thoth continued to heal on a regular basis, as well as rebuffing the party, while Apate continued to slowly re-lower everyone's stats. Hotch had recognized the Dekunda spell; it was the same on he knew Odin was capable of. But the other two were a mystery to him.

"I shall end this charade!" shouted Diana.

A blast of multi-colored wind roared around the room, running right through the Personas and humans below, but nobody seemed particularly hurt. Hotch looked up and around.

"Hotch, we've got some problems," said Garcia. "Morgan's panicked, Prentiss is catatonically scared, and Reid seems to have been charmed…"

Hotch immediately ran over to Morgan and backhanded him across the face. Morgan shook his head and, without missing a beat, thanked Hotch and ran back into battle. He had Ares shoot a blast of fire at Diana. To their shock, it immediately rebounded and hit Ares, knocking the Persona back (but thankfully doing very little damage).

"Wait a minute... part of her strange defense is gone. Guys, I think those were shields to reflect magic and physical attacks. Don't strike her, just hit her with magic for now!" shouted Garcia.

Though her whole body shook with tremors of terror, Prentiss was still able to force Apate to shoot ice at Diana, while Hotch and Morgan both supplemented it with fire and lightning. Then, to their shock, they saw the light of healing surround Diana. Down below her, standing in front of her collapsed bed, was Reid, a maddened look in his eyes.

"What are you doing, Reid?" asked Morgan.

"He's still charmed…" Prentiss said, her eyes still wide and terrified.

"No… not my mother… you can't… you can't take her…" Reid muttered. "I… I changed my mind… she doesn't need you… I can… I can take care of her myself…"

"Reid, man, snap out of it!" cried Morgan.

"I said _LEAVE HER ALONE!_" cried Reid in ringing tones.

Thoth turned to Ares and hurtled something at him. They were horrified to see that it was one of the light cards with the glyph in the center. It struck Ares' breastplate, hung there, and exploded in a flash of light. With a strangled help, Morgan fell to the ground.

"Morgan's unconscious!" Garcia cried. "Be careful, Reid's unstable!"

"That's right… you are guilty for what you did to me, Spencer, and you must pay the price… with your life…" taunted Diana.

Then, to their shock, they watched as Reid turned to his mother, smiled, and send Thoth in for an attack. He picked up the large tome and slammed it directly into Diana's face. The shockwave of energy rebounded and hit Thoth, which send the monkey-man falling from the sky. Below him, Reid also fell to the ground.

"Is he unconscious too?!" shouted Prentiss.

"N-no! Just injured!" replied Garcia. "He's on the verge… you've got to take care of Diana."

"We just need to knock her off balance I think…" said Hotch. "Can you do that, Prentiss?"

"I'll try…" she replied.

Despite the best combined efforts of Apate and Odin, neither was able to make much headway. Diana seemed to anticipate their blocks, and Prentiss still seemed to be suffering from fear. At least Diana didn't' seem to know how to use the same thing that Foyet had almost killed Hotch with. Just when it seemed like they weren't going to be able to break through her strong hold, they saw something flying through the air.

"What is this?!" gasped Diana.

Before anyone could react, the Shadow was hit with her own bed, and it knocked her to the ground. Without a second thought, Hotch commanded Odin forward, and the Persona drove his spear directly into the downed Shadow, shattering the blackness around her with a strangled cry.

"… Hotch you always scare me when you use that attack," said Garcia. "But… the Shadow has been defeated… the battle is over…"

Reid, sitting next to Thoth, couldn't even hold his head up. But with Morgan still unconscious, there was no other explanation.

"Reid, did you throw that bed?" asked Hotch.

"… I… threw a bed… at my own mother…" Reid muttered to himself. "Well… okay I guess technically Thoth did it, but I told him to… I think that's a new record in being as anti-filial."

"I'm just mostly impressed that you or anything that came from you had the strength to do that," said Prentiss.

"Me too… honestly…" said Reid. "I think it used up all his energy for the moment though…"

"Morgan's not going to believe it when he wakes up," said Garcia. "I'll go check on him."

"Meanwhile… Reid, you have to accept that Shadow," said Hotch.

"I know," said Reid. "I know there's the risk… I'd really have preferred that none of you found out, especially in such a wild manner… but… no point in worrying about that anymore."

He walked forward and knelt down next to his mother. He spoke quietly to her, and she smiled, raised a hand to rub his cheek, and slowly disappeared. The room grew brighter, and Morgan finally awoke. Prentiss seemed much more calm, too.

"_You_ threw a bed?" said Morgan, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. "I don't believe it."

"Told ya," said Garcia, grinning. "It was amazing though. You've got competition, my big fighter."

"As if I'm any real competition in anything but Personas," said Reid. "Are the others okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," said Kanji, as he and Yosuke showed up. "Sorry we uh… couldn't do more."

"It's okay, it worked out for the better," said Garcia. "Though admittedly if either of you could heal it would have made my stress levels a little lower."

"All we're really missing now is J.J.," said Reid. "Any sign of her?"  
>"I think the other group picked her up. They're making their way forward a little north of here," said Garcia. "And I'm sensing Mitsuru, Akihiko, and the others not far behind them. I think it's time we regrouped."<p>

"I agree," said Hotch, who was looking forward to having his entire team back together.

"I'll get us out of here," said Reid, walking ahead of them. "I memorized it when we first came in here."

"Yeah… it was a little horrifying how quickly he found the path," said Yosuke. "We didn't run into any Shadows at all."

"That's our Reid," said Morgan, grinning and throwing an arm around him. "A genius to a terrifying fault."

Less than ten minutes later, they were back in the clear, bright main world, leaving the asylum far behind. As they made their way forward under Garcia and Hathor's directions, they discussed what had happened in each other's Personal Hells, also postulating what might have occurred in J.J.'s. As they walked, a familiar voice entered Hotch's mind.

"Good evening…"

"How are you doing, Igor?" asked Hotch, before he even turned and found himself back in the private jet of the Velvet Room.

"I am doing well, thank you for asking," said Igor, bowing his head. "And it would seem you and your colleagues are doing equally well. Have you come closer to solving the case?"

"We… uh… well, we've been working on it. These Personal Hells and all have sidetracked us a bit…" said Hotch, frowning.

"Understandable," said Igor. "I merely wish to remind you to not lose sight of the goal you originally set for yourselves. Your time continues to run out, and it won't be long before your ability to investigate and apprehend the culprit will be at an end. And remember… just because the worlds are separate, it doesn't mean that they cannot be affected by one another."

"I'll… keep that in mind…" said Hotch. "Thanks for the warning."

"It is my pleasure. We will speak again, I'm sure… so… until then… farewell…"

Hotch blinked and found himself walking along between Morgan and Reid. None of them seemed to have noticed Hotch checking out for a few moments, for which he was thankful. Just behind them, Garcia spoke with Yosuke and Kanji, admiring Kanji's hair and eyebrows of course, while Prentiss strode forward, keeping a lookout for the others. After a while, they saw the other group converging, and hurried forward to meet up with their friends.

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you for continuing to support me and enjoy my work.**


	13. Chapter 13: Storm

**Author's Note:**

**Unfortunately, this will likely be the only update in September due to LIFE. I apologize that it's also a shorter one, but when I get LIFE in order I hope to be able to finish this story. I anticipate this will be completed before the end of 2012. Please enjoy!**

Chapter Thirteen: Storm

"J.J.! You're all right!" exclaimed Garcia, sprinting ahead of the rest of the original group to embrace her tired-looking friend.

"Yes… it was a wild trip, though," said J.J. "When I woke up I was in this dark forest clearing, with no recollection how I'd gotten there."

"Yeah, it was super spooky," said Yukari, shivering. "We could hear things in the forest…"

"Who all did you have with you?" asked Prentiss.

"Myself, Yukari-san, Amagi-san, and Satonaka-san," answered Fuuka.

"The five of us wandered around for a bit," said Chie. "We tried to find our way out, but it seemed everywhere we went it got a little denser and worse… and then we saw… well… um…"

She trailed off as if embarrassed to continue. There was a pause as all the younger girls looked to J.J., who sighed deeply before explaining.

"My sister," she said. "It was my sister, the one who committed suicide. She… blamed me for everything. She tried to make me doubt my ability to do my job, to help people…"

"That was your Shadow," said Hotch. "A dark aspect of yourself-."

"Yeah, Yukiko and Chie explained that to me, as did Fuuka and Yukari, sort of," said J.J. "It's strange… it seems there are different kinds… anyway, I… kinda lost control of myself when she started insinuating I couldn't be a good mother and I… told her off. She said she was a part of me, I refused to acknowledge that and…"

"She attacked you," finished Hotch.

"Yes," said J.J., nodding. "Fiercely. But, thanks to these girls, we were able to defeat the Shadow and move on."

"Before we even got there, I might add," said Mitsuru.

"Yeah… it didn't leave us anything to fight," said Akihiko, sounding very disappointed. "And here I was looking for a good tussle…"

"We did notice something else, though. There was another Hell, one about halfway between J.J.'s and here," said Mitsuru.

"It was a carnival of sorts," said the freshly-rebooted Aigis. "But… I regret that I have no information further."

"Me either," added Fuuka. "I detected no signs of human life, and only minimal Shadows…"

"Well… it can't be for any of us; we've already all found our Hells pretty easily," said Prentiss. "Could it be for one of you?"

"None of us from Inaba, most likely," said Naoto. "We had our versions of these so-called "Hells" in the Midnight Channel."

"And I believe Tartarus qualified as such for those of us from Iwatodai," said Mitsuru. "Though, to be fair, it didn't function in quite the same way."

"Speak for yourself…" said Fuuka. "That time I was trapped in there definitely qualified as hell for me…"

"Hotch, I hate to say it, but I'm beat," said Morgan. "I think we should call it a day…"

"As do I," said Hotch. "Our time to find the Unsub is running out. And who knows how long we've actually been in this world… we should try and touch base with Rossi outside the world and-."

**"YOU HAVE SURVIVED THE **_**TRIALS!**_**"**

The loud, ringing voice had returned. Everyone immediately moved into battle positions, Yosuke, Kanji, and Morgan going as far as summoning their Personas in preparation for battle. But as they looked around the sparkling, misty sky, they saw nothing. When the voice spoke again, though, they did sense a very faint flashing going on way up in the sky.

**"I may have been… hasty… in denying you from Nyx's Embrace… your…"**

His voice cut out and for a moment the others glanced at each other quizzically.

**"… join… and this world will replace…"**

"Uh… is it just me… or is our creepy voice man having some trouble being… creepy and… voicey… today?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah, it's like he's having trouble broadcasting to us," said Prentiss. "What's his deal?"

**"… will find that I can be… … very forgiving… … only… your… choice is…"**

"We can't actually hear you, you know!" Yukari shouted, snarkily.

**"… talking to…. Useless bitch…"**

"Excuse me?!" snarled Yukari.

"Takeba, cool it," Mitsuru hissed. "We need to figure out where he's coming from…"

"It's no use; the clouds block Hathor's sensors," said Garcia, who had taken the opportunity to Summon as well.

"Maybe if I can get Frigga to blow the air away…?" suggested J.J. tentatively.

**"… Hotch, what'll it be?"**

"Me? Why ask me, then?" asked Hotch.

**"It's no secret, you're the leader!"** the voice shouted, stronger and clearer than before, at least at first. **"From everything I've seen of all of you, you're the one who can most easily persuade the others! It's your decision…"**

"Forgive me, but we couldn't actually hear your proposition," said Hotch. "Perhaps you'd like to come out and meet with us face-to-face?"

**"You dare… to…"** the voice started to cut in and out again. **"Higher… than any other… expect… I shall NEVER… to your requests…." **

"This is ridiculous, Hotch, we're not getting anywhere," said Prentiss.

"Yeah… it sounds like his voice is coming from everywhere," said Reid.

"Whoever you are," Hotch called to the sky. "We are unable to fully understand you. Our offer stands. Meet face-to-face and we'll discuss our joining Nyx's Embrace."

There was a pause with only faint distant flashing, but, at least for the time being, it seemed like the man had totally lost his ability to broadcast. Then, there was a loud stream of furious expletives and a much brighter flash went across the shining sky above them, followed by a loud crack of what sounded like thunder. The shockwave knocked them to the ground.

When Hotch opened his eyes, he was surprised to find himself and the rest of the others lying on the floor of the Yasogami computer lab. Slowly, everyone got to their feet, looking around. Almost everyone's faces were pale, and some were still shaking.

"It seems we have returned," said Mitsuru.

"Yeah… this is definitely our world," said Rise. "Is everyone okay?"

"A little bruised and banged up, but not nearly as bad as some of our cases can be," said Prentiss.

"How'd we get sent out of the world?" asked Reid.

"I think… the servers are down," said Garcia, who had already returned to her computer. "Yeah… every single North American server went down. That's very strange, they usually don't do maintenance for a few more days…"

"Well Rossi did say that there were storms all over the US," said J.J. "Maybe the place where the servers are based got hit?"

"That's a distinct possibility," said Garcia. "Almost all over the servers are centrally located in… Missouri, I think.."

"So we can't access this world unless the servers are up, then?" asked Naoto.

"Seems that way. I can't log in," said Garcia.

"Just as well, then," said Hotch. "We should regroup and see what Rossi has come up with on his end. Kevin as well."

They took over an adjacent classroom, leaving Garcia to her own devices with Fuuka's assistance. They poured over all of the information they already had, but nothing jumped out at them initially. After half an hour of unproductive deliberations, Garcia walked into the room, a triumphant look on her face.

"I've done it. I hit a breakthrough. I was able to hack onto one of the main Nyx's Embrace servers, and I got everyone else's characters figured out," she said, grinning. "As well as the accounts attached to them and their hierarchy in the group."

"That's great, Garcia!" exclaimed Reid.

"Good work. What can you tell us?" asked Hotch.

Garcia sighed. "Well… sorry… but that was the only good news I had. The bad news is that… well… Nyx's Embrace is far more massive than we'd expected. Each server has its own division, and each of those has several hundred members. So… although I have some leads… I don't have any definite names."

"Still, it's a starting point. I think we can safely assume our UnSub is most certainly one of these members," said Hotch.

"Yeah. And probably not a low-ranking member. With all his knowledge of the game and this ability, I imagine he'd be a higher-ranking official in the guild itself. Eliminate anyone who has been brought in before our first victims appeared," said Morgan.

"Which servers were your victims on?" asked Akihiko.

"Some of them had multiple characters on different servers," said Garcia, flipping through her highlighted notes. "And these weren't arranged by server, so it'll take me some time to organize them…"

"Do what you can with that, then, and look for any overlap," said Hotch. "Then we'll cross-reference that with higher-ranking officials and come up with a better list of suspects."

"I'll get to work on that right now," said Garcia, returning to the computer lab.

"As for the rest of us, let's return to the Amagi Inn and try to ease our wounds and pains," said Hotch. "We should touch base with Rossi, too."

Back at the hotel, after a long dip in the hot springs and a hearty meal, the members of the BAU plus Akihiko, Naoto, and Mitsuru sat in Hotch's room. They were finally able to conference call Rossi on a video monitor.

"Hotch! Good to finally hear from you. How are things there?" asked Rossi.

"You wouldn't believe the day we had in that world," said Hotch. "How are you doing in the US?"

"Atrocious, and that's an understatement," said Rossi. "Have you seen the weather lately?"

"No, we haven't…" said Prentiss. "How bad is it?"

"Here…" said Rossi, spinning his camera around to face a television.

There was a gasp. The weather map on the television screen showed a virtually solid mass of green, yellow, and red covering a majority of the United States. Below the map was an emergency bulletin about catastrophic extreme weather.

"What's going on over there?" asked Prentiss.

"It's a disaster," came a new voice, and they were surprised to see a soaking-wet Agent Seaver join Rossi when the camera was turned back. "There's a record number of flood warnings country wide, and currently 58 tornado warnings and climbing. There's already been panic; the storms came out of nowhere and are of biblical proportions."

"This… this is insane…" muttered Prentiss.

"I know this is crazy, but… do you think this could have something to do with the other world?" asked Naoto.

"How do you figure?" Morgan asked.

"Well, when we were exploring the Midnight Channel, we started to notice the fog had begun to leak out into our world… you may have seen reports of the impenetrable Inaba fog a couple of years ago," said Naoto.

"So you think the storms we're seeing here might have something to do with the internet world?" asked Reid.

"It's a possibility," said Naoto. "We did see distant flashes and thunder in the other world today…"

"We'll have to keep that in mind," said J.J. "Rossi, have you learned anything else on your end?"

"Unfortunately, no," said Rossi. "The weather here is even worse. My flight diverted twice before I finally got here, not to mention several roads are closed due to flooding around Quantico. I'm setting up camp here. One plus to this is that Strauss is stranded for now, so she can't get into the office."

"A blessing in disguise I guess," said Hotch. "Dave, if you hear anything at all, let us know."

"Same to you. That analyst Kevin Lynch said he would be getting me all of Garcia's info as soon as she had it compiled. We've been running on generator power for a good part of the morning," Rossi explained.

"Well… stay dry," said Morgan, earning an eye roll from Agent Seaver.

"And you guys stay safe; there's no telling what our UnSub is capable of," Rossi replied.

They closed the call and sat in thought for a few moments. The chaos of the weather was one thing, but if that was truly something being caused in the internet world, they were going to have to hurry and deal with that.

"Tomorrow, I think we should enter the world and go after our Unsub… or whatever the voice we keep hearing in there is," said Hotch. "We need to put a stop to this before the storms spread worldwide."

The next morning, Hotch was awakened at 5 AM by pounding on his door. He rolled out of bed, picked up his gun, and headed for the door. He could hear Dojima's muffled voice on the far side, and he slowly slide the door open. The man was in a panicked state, his eyes wide and filled with terror. Unfortunately, he was unable to tell Hotch anything in English, so Hotch was mostly just politely confused until the noise finally awoke Akihiko who wandered out of his room, yawning and scratching his eyes.

"Sanada, what is he saying?" asked Hotch, desperate for a translator.

"Just a moment…" Akihiko said, asking Dojima something in Japanese. When he replied, Akihiko's eyes also grew wide and terrified. He turned back to Hotch. "His daughter, Nanako… and your analyst Garcia… have disappeared into the internet world."

**Author's Note**

**As always, thank you for your patience; I hope you enjoy this story!**


	14. Chapter 14: Rescue

**Author's Note:**

**Has it really been three months since the last update? Oops. Tell you what, here's a super-long update for you all to thank you for your patience. There should, unless something changes, be 18 Chapters in this one, so the story will begin to reach its climax and wind down very soon. Thank you for your continued favorites, reviews, and shares; I'm thrilled to see so many people enjoy this!**

Chapter Fourteen: Rescue

They were back at Yasogami as quickly as they could get there. Several bewildered police officers stood aside as the BAU charged through the building to the computer lab. Inside, they saw several computers were overturned, as well as a platter of breakfast and snacks littering the floor. Some of Garcia's computers were still running next to the chair she'd probably been sitting in, working on scans of some sort. The log-in screen for Divinity Online stared at them as they quickly checked around the room for any additional crews. In the meantime, Akihiko and Naoto translate from Dojima what had happened.

"Well, Dojima had woken up early… and Nanako did, too," said Naoto. "So they made breakfast and she was going to bring some snacks for Garcia-san."

"When they got here, Garcia was still awake and working on her information gathering, apparently with her boyfriend," said Akihiko. "But when they got here, Dojima went to the restroom, and when he got back…"

"They were gone," said Hotch.

In the corner, Dojima sat in a chair, his arms shaking. He kept muttering under his breath, a lost, frantic look in his eyes. Rise, Yukiko, and Kanji sat around him, reassuring him and patting him on the arm. Hotch felt for him, thinking back to the several occasions where his own son had been in danger.

"We have to go after them," said Morgan. "Garcia's Persona isn't built for combat. And Nanako doesn't have one, right?"

"Yeah…" said Yukiko. "She never faced her Shadow so she never got one…"

"She's still so young… we can't waste any time," said J.J.

"I agree," said Hotch. "We're all going in."

"What about the police outside?" asked Akihiko.

"Have Dojima send them away, tell them to look around town and patrol. Tell them we're taking over the investigation of this area, and that we need them to keep tabs on the rest of the town," said Hotch.

"Got it," said Naoto, quickly explaining everything to the detective, who ran out.

"If you have any last minute preparations to make, do it now," said Hotch.

His team looked back at him, a burning determination in their eyes. Hotch nodded; they were absolutely ready. Their other members from Inaba and Iwatodai all showed signs of wanting to help as well. After a few minutes, Dojima rejoined them.

"I… am going," he said, straining to speak English.

Hotch nodded. "I wouldn't dream of stopping you."

After Akihiko translated, Dojima smiled grimly and shook his hand.

"Very well, then, let us sign in," said Mitsuru.

Unfortunately, the game didn't let them in that easily. Garcia's password had been saved, but it requested some sort of authentication before it would let them progress. At first they were at a loss, until Reid looked at some of the other computers that were running.

"Oh… hey, guys, it's a code generator… but…" he said, pointing.

The code shifted every few seconds, and it often included random capital letters, symbols, and numbers. Luckily, Fuuka's typing speed was just enough to get it. They logged in and, surrounded by the white light, they were pulled into the internet world again. They crashed down a little smoother than previous entrances and stood up, dusting themselves off and standing in a group. They waited for a few seconds, but there was no voice. Above them, the mist had gotten thicker, but they were still able to see the vague flashing in the sky.

"Where's Garcia from here?" asked Prentiss.

"Wait, how are we going to find her?" asked Morgan, suddenly. "She was the one who always did the searching for us…"

"Rise-chan, Mitsuru-senpai, and myself can scan as well," said Fuuka. "Oh, and Teddie-san as well."

"My nose is ready!" squealed Teddie, summoning his Persona.

"We'll let you know what we find," said Mitsuru.

They stood together, their Personas scanning through the mist. After a couple of minutes with no response from any of them, the others of the group began to break off and wander around the area. Hotch and Morgan stepped away from the group.

"Are you okay?" asked Hotch.

"Hell no I'm not okay," grumbled Morgan. "Garcia's no fool… there's no way she would take Nanako in to the world on her own…"

Hotch nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. She must have been coerced somehow…"

"I should have known better than to leave her alone…" said Morgan. "When we left last night she said she was just going to be a few more minutes…"

"You couldn't have known," said Hotch. "Don't beat yourself up over it."

"Yeah… still… when I find whoever brought her in here… Ares and I are going to have a few words with him," said Morgan, his voice dropping dangerously low.

"Agreed," said Hotch.

When Prentiss came over to join their group, Hotch excused himself and went to where Dojima was pacing, wringing his hands and looking around the area, as if he might spot Nanako sitting there hiding from him. The two walked in silence for a few moments, until Hotch finally spoke up.

"We're going to find her. Garcia is stronger than she looks; she would never let anyone hurt your daughter," he said.

"I know," said Dojima. "And… Nanako is strong, too… she will also try to protect your technician."

Hotch nodded. "I will personally see to it that we rescue her and protect her until we can regroup with you."

Dojima shook his head. "I am going with you, no matter what."

"But without a Persona…" said Hotch.

"I don't need one," said Dojima, angrily. "I'll tear the Shadows apart with my bare hands… I couldn't be there for her when Namatame took her… I will not let that happen again."

Hotch decided to put it aside. They went back towards where the four scanners were doing their thing, and saw Reid, who stared thoughtfully at the sky.

"The frequencies have almost quadrupled since yesterday," he said. "I can sense with Thoth that the power of this world has grown, too; it's thicker, and there's more of interference… which explains why it is taking the others so long, I believe."

"The frequencies of… what?" asked Kanji, who sat cross-legged on the ground.

"The lightning… or whatever the flashes in the sky are," said Reid. "It's been steadily growing since we arrived in here."

"Come to think of it, was there any the first day you all were here?" asked Kanji.

"No… and that concerns me," said Reid. "Whether it's due to us or not, I think there's something big happening in this world, as if it's getting ready to go through some sort of… cataclysm."

"Guys, they found something," came the cry from Yukari a few seconds later.

Hotch whirled around and hurried back with the rest of the large group. Rise's Persona had turned to focus off to their left, as had Fuuka's and Teddie's. Mitsuru had already unsummoned her Persona, and was instead explaining everything to the group.

"It took us quite a while to get a positive hit, but we finally found a large structure with the signatures of several individuals. One of them is your analyst, Garcia," said Mitsuru.

"No idea who the others are?" asked Morgan.

"No," said Mitsuru. "Hathor's interaction with our Personas attuned us to her signature. We can't place the others, though I assume it's safe to say one is likely Nanako Dojima… and the other…"

"… is probably our UnSub," said Prentiss.

"How far away is it?" asked Hotch.

"Um… well… distance is a hard thing to measure in this world…" said Fuuka. "And with the interference… it's rough. But it's about a rough half mile or so past where we found that abandoned carnival…"

"Oh, right, that thing…" said Chie. "So… should we get moving?"

"Yes, let's go," said Hotch.

The group hurried through the fog as fast as they could. The empty world around them continued to buzz and flash, and for the first time they were sure they could hear vague claps of thunder. As they went through the world, they were surprised to see bits of the wires in the sky hanging down, some having fully detached and landed on the ground. Luckily, none of them seemed to have any currents running through them, but the destruction of the world still bothered Hotch. What was going on?

"Okay we're almost there…" muttered Rise, after they stopped to briefly check her Persona.

They charged on through the fog after she said those words, Hotch, Morgan, and Prentiss well in the lead with the rest of the BAU, Akihiko, and Dojima not far behind. A large structure finally began to materialize out of the fog in the world. It had to be nearly a dozen stories high, and its sight made them run even faster… until they got close enough to identify it. They stopped dead in their tracks, looks of terror on their face.

They were looking at Quantico.

"Th… that's Garcia's Hell?" asked J.J.

"You know… it makes sense…" muttered Reid.

"S-so what if it is?" asked Morgan. "What's it matter…? Garcia's waiting for us… come on…"

They ran for the doors that made up the entrance to the dungeon, but the calls from the ones behind them made them skid to a halt. The rest of their companions joined them, breathing heavily from trying to keep up. The BAU members explained the situation, and turned to go in until they were stopped by a question from Naoto.

"Just how are you all going to receive battle support? Who is going to do it?"

Hotch was struck by a jolt of shock. He hadn't even considered that point. The logical thing to do would be to bring along one of the support Persona wielders from outside, but that would mean at least one member of the BAU would have to stay behind. Hotch had a feeling this wouldn't go over well.

"Hell no," said Morgan.

"No chance in hell," said Prentiss at the same time.

"I'm not staying behind, either," said J.J. "Sorry, Hotch."

"I can't just let Garcia stay in there alone," said Reid. "And I'm not staying behind."

"Well… actually… we might be able to give you support from here," said Fuuka, suddenly. "Um… we did it in Tartarus all the time, and this isn't nearly as high…"

"Yamagishi's right," said Mitsuru. "So… five of you will go in, and you'll have us out here for back-up…"

"What about the rest of us?" asked Yosuke, suddenly. "We want to help too!"

"Yes," said Yu, who had stayed quiet until then. "I'm not leaving Nanako behind, either."

"Nor I ," said Dojima. "I told you that already, Agent Hotchner."

"Actually, what about that Carnival? The one we haven't explored yet?" asked J.J. "Could those of you who aren't staying here examine that? It might have a clue about this world we haven't examined yet…"

"But… … well… I guess it beats doing nothing," said Akihiko.

"It's settled, then," said Hotch. "We shall explore Quantico, the rest of you go to the Carnival and we'll return when—."

"No!" roared Dojima suddenly. "I'm not going to let you stop me from getting to Nanako!"

He suddenly tore off heading right into the building. The others yelled for him to stop and the BAU members chased him in. First Morgan, then Hotch, J.J., Prentiss, and finally Reid. Hotch turned just has crossed the threshold, trying to tell him to stop before he got hurled back out, but Reid surprisingly was able to enter. He and Hotch looked at each other, confused.

"I thought only five could enter…" muttered Reid.

"Well, wait, then, if you all could go, maybe it'll let us all enter," said Akihiko, from outside.

He, Yu, Naoto, and Mitsuru all tried to enter, but they were immediately rejected and hurtled out of the building.

"Okay… maybe not…" said Mitsuru, cringing as rubbed the elbow she'd just landed on.

"Maybe it's… only five with Personas…?" asked Naoto. "I… won't even pretend like I understand this place…"

"Hotch! We gotta go, Dojima's getting too far ahead!" called Morgan from further inside.

"We'll have to figure this out later," said Hotch, sighing. "Please stay safe until we get back. I'll leave you all to decide where you want people to go."

"Understood," said Mitsuru. "See you later, then…"

Reid and Hotch joined the others in the pursuit for Dojima. After running down three hallways, they finally caught up to the group. Morgan was restraining Dojima on the ground, the latter putting up a brave fight to get free. Prentiss and J.J. stood a few feet back, looking around to make sure no Shadows were sneaking up on them.

"How is he?" asked Hotch.

"He's… okay… I don't think Morgan hurt him too bad when he tackled him," said Prentiss.

"Just thrashing… quite powerfully, too," said J.J.

"Let me go!" roared Dojima. "I've got to get to my daughter!"

"C'mon, man, you'll just be putting yourself in more danger!" Morgan yelled. "Don't do this, don't throw it away…"

"Morgan… let him up," said Hotch.

"Are you serious?" exclaimed Morgan. "He might-."

"He's a trained law enforcement officer. I trust his abilities in combat, with or without a Persona," said Hotch. "We're wasting time and energy trying to get him to leave."

Morgan stood up and let Dojima go. He didn't keep running, but instead thanked Hotch, smiling friendly-like. Once things calmed down, they were finally able to get a look at the dungeon for the first time. It was a picture-perfect representation of the interior of their home offices. Only two things stuck out: computer monitors every few feet constantly compiling some sort of data, and the portraits on the wall.

"Wait… isn't that… us?" asked Prentiss.

It was just like when they'd thought she'd been killed by Ian Doyle. Their portraits were all over the wall as a tribute to those who'd died in the line of duty. It was unnerving to see each other looking down at them, but even more shocking when they started to see picture of Akihiko, Dojima, and Yu up on the walls as well.

"What's going on here…?" asked Dojima.

"I imagine… this Hell reflects what Garcia feels at her worst moments…" said Reid, quietly. "With Dojima and Yu… there's probably some influence from Nanako too…"

"Yeah… they've already seen so many horrible things, yet they're so cheerful…" said J.J.

"And after what happened last year… well… I'm sure I didn't help matters…" muttered Prentiss.

"That's in the past," said Hotch, bracingly. "We can't get distracted; we have to press on and find Nanako and Garcia."

"But we don't even know which way to go," said J.J.

"Um… hello…" came the echoing voice of Fuuka. "Can… can you all hear me?"

"Yes, we can hear you, Fuuka," said Hotch, spinning around and trying to find her. "Where are you?"

"I'm outside, still. I've got Mitsuru-senpai with me, still. She's assisting, but I'm the only one who can talk through your Personas," she said.

"Fuuka, where is Garcia?" asked Prentiss.

"She's further in, about ten or eleven floors up," said Fuuka. "But there's someone on the fourth floor, too, and I can't tell who that is."

"Could it be Nanako?" asked Dojima, breathlessly.

"I… I'm not sure, Dojima-san, please forgive me," said Fuuka. "I'm trying to see into the area, but it's really, really hard… there's some sort of force trying to force me out…"

"Garcia's mind must not be easy to get in to, so that's no surprise," said Morgan. "And since it is Quantico… I wonder if it has its own built in security?"

"I'm trying to figure that out, actually," said Fuuka. "The first floor is clear of Shadows… I sense some on the second floor. From there, I can barely see, so I'll keep looking and keep you updated."

"Thank you for your hard work, Fuuka," said Hotch, smiling. "Good luck."

"S-same to you!" she replied. "Start following the hallway and take the first break at the right; it'll lead to a stairwell to the second floor. Be careful."

They followed her instructions and quickly mounted the stairs. Everyone had their guns drawn, though Prentiss still had one of Mitsuru's swords hanging from her belt as well. They reached another passcode-protected door and slid open with a beep as they got closer. They took a few steps inside the hallway and gasped. Lining the walls were photos of old crime scenes: mutilated bodies, pictures of old UnSubs, portraits of sobbing family members. The lights were slightly dimmer, too, giving the whole place an even eerier feel.

"Be on your guard!" Fuuka suddenly cried. "I sense Shadows!"

No sooner had she said it did the sound of Shadows reach their ears. The tiny orbs of blackness rose from the ground, rising high into the hallway. They twisted and contorted, and they were surprised to see a variety of Shadows: three of the long-tongued, stripe Shadows they hadn't seen since their first day, a couple of the vaguely police-looking Shadows with enormous holes through their stomachs, and an array of the crucifixes with different-colored scales.

"Fuuka! Can you sense these Shadows?" asked Hotch.

"I-I can!" Fuuka exclaimed. "Give me a minute, I'll scan the targets!"

"We don't really have a minute, they're gathering energy," said Reid.

The first to attack were the cops, who raised their enormous guns and started to lay down fire on the group. Morgan called Ares and he helped defend Dojima, who had started to return fire on his own. Prentiss sent Apate hurtling through the other Shadows, slicing at them and blasting them with ice, while Reid had Thoth assist J.J.'s Frigga in a wave of buffing defenses and occasional attacks.

"Fuuka…" said Hotch, as he had Odin cast a wave of lightning at the nearest group of scales. "Something is off about these Shadows…"

As Ares shot by to knock one of the Shadow Cops back, Hotch peered closely at the others. Even through the semi-darkness of the hallway, he could tell that the Shadows were… pulsating, almost. A wave of wind shot past him, narrowly missing his head, and he recoiled. But when he opened his eyes, he was sure he could see it: a vague, pulsating purple against the usual blackness of the Shadows' "skin."

"They're slightly purple… what does that mean?" asked Hotch.

"The Shadows are very powerful!" Fuuka exclaimed. "More powerful than you've faced before, I mean."

"She's right!" Morgan shouted over the roar of renewed gunfire. "These weren't nearly as bad as they were before!"

"Okay… I've got something, at least…" Fuuka exclaimed. "The crosses have no weaknesses, but the police ones are weak to light. The hovering ones are strong against everything except wind!"

"Understood," said Hotch. "J.J., I want you to aim for the hovering ones. Prentiss, you, Morgan, and Dojima need to lay as much damage down on those crosses as possible. Reid—"

"MAHAMA!" Reid shouted, as Thoth held the ankh high in the sky.

A wave of the light cards exploded across the entire hallway, taking out all but one of the cops, as well as two of the crosses. Morgan let out a rallying cry and everyone else began to besiege the remaining Shadows, as bursts of magical energy lit up the semi-darkness in the combat zone. Unsurprisingly, J.J. had Frigga blasting the vile ball-tongue Personas out of the sky very quickly, until Frigga took a shot to the arm from one of the cops. She groaned and fell to her knees.

"J-J.J.-san is hurt! Can't somebody heal her?" asked Fuuka.

"I'm fine; keep fighting," said J.J., grimacing and shaking her arm. "I'm not bleeding…"

"Personas feel our pain, and ours, theirs, I think," said Reid, who dodged a bolt of lightning by mere inches.

"These sons of bitches won't go down easy…" Morgan said, roaring with fury as he sent Ares in for another Blade of Fury, slicing up the Shadows that still stood in their way.

"I'll try again," Reid said. This time, the monsters seemed to anticipate the cards, because they dodged it easily.

"I think the enemies are tracking your attacks and they're becoming less effective!" Fuuka exclaimed. "Please, try to vary your attacks."

"Bewilder, Apate!" Prentiss shouted.

Hotch watched as Apate leapt to the nearest scale, spinning around it and letting out the harshest, most horrifying cry he'd heard a Persona use before. The Shadow actually seemed scared, trembling, which allowed the combined power of Ares and Odin to knock it against the wall, spearing it through the center and blasting it apart.

"Status ailments are good… at least on the scales…" said Fuuka. "S-sorry, I'm really out of practice!"

"You're doing fine," Hotch assured her, though, truth be told, he missed Garcia all the more.

"Mitsuru-senpai says you should attempt to use status ailments as much as possible… um… though honestly that never worked well for us…" Fuuka added in an undertone.

"I'll do what I can," said Prentiss.

It took another few minutes of intense fighting, but they continued to weed out the weaker Personas, until only the resolute cop remained. It took some quick debuffing from Apate, some buffing from Thoth, and a well-placed Fire/Wind/Electric blast from Ares, Frigga, and Odin to bring him down. The semidarkness fell away, revealing a brighter path, as the last Shadow faded out.

"No more Shadows detected on this floor… are you all okay?" asked Fuuka.

"A little sore, but nothing we can't handle," said Morgan.

"Are all the battles going to be like this now?" asked Prentiss.

"I hope not… that seemed to be real tough on you guys," said Dojima.

"It'd be nice if we could have another Persona-user in here with us, really," said Morgan.

"It would technically give us an advantage…" Reid added.

Hotch sighed. "That may be true, but I promised Dojima that I would let him come with us. However… if the next floor proves to be any more of a challenge, then I will reconsider my promise."

Dojima looked at him, shock on his face, as well as a shade of betrayal. "Agent Hotchner, you said—."

"I had no idea the difficulty of our engagements would increase," Hotch replied, firmly. "I will give it one more floor to make sure it wasn't a fluke. If things do not improve, we're returning to the entrance and will have to swap you out with a Persona-user. Is that understood?"  
>Dojima glared at him for a few moments, but he agreed after a short pause. The group took a couple more seconds to heal up and began their trek down the hallway to the next set of stairs. As they were about to enter the next, they heard quiet sobs coming from all around them. It was hard to tell at first who they belonged too; the BAU members were sure they heard Garcia, but Dojima felt he might have heard Nanako as well.<p>

"Fuuka, what can you tell us about this floor?" asked Hotch.

"I-I'm having trouble scanning… I can sense the person above you, and there are at least two Shadows on this floor, but I can't see beyond that…" said Fuuka.

They stepped into the new hallway and were shocked to see the walls still plastered with the same crime scene photos from the floor. However, this time, the BAU members were horrified to see that they had taken the places of the victims. Pictures of their own mutilated bodies, as well as those of Nanako, Dojima, and the other members of the Inaba and Iwatodai squads, surrounded them, unnerving them. They could still hear the distant echoes of sobs, someone muttering "no… no… no…" constantly under her breath.

"This… this is messed up…" said Morgan.

"We've got to keep moving; try not to look at it," said Hotch, his stomach churning at a particularly gruesome photo of a headless female torso. "Fuuka, any leads?"

"The Shadows are about halfway down… I think…" said Fuuka. "It's getting harder for me to read you…"

Sure enough, they encountered the purple-glowing snakes not too long after they headed down. Just as they called forth their Personas to do battle, Reid suddenly let out a ferocious roar. They could see the fury in his face as he charged at the Shadows, with Thoth swinging his book and ankh as furious curses and swears poured forth from his mouth.

"Reid-san has been enraged! C-can any of you use Enradi?" Fuuka exclaimed.

"No I don't think so… but… did… the Snakes do this?" asked Hotch.

"They haven't moved at all, except to dodge Reid's attacks," said Prentiss.

"Fuuka, are there any others?" J.J. asked, panic in her voice as she whirled around to look at all corners.

"I… I… can't sense them… but…" Fuuka called, her voice breaking with panic. "I… oh… let me scan the targets for weaknesses… stand by…"

Hotch had Odin preemptively strike at one of the other snakes, as Reid continued to thrash and scream at the snake, which dodged him easily. Out of the corner of his eye, Hotch saw Morgan send Ares in to assist, while Frigga began to buff as per usual. But Apate was missing. Hotch glanced behind him and felt a wave of shock go through him; Prentiss was huddled on the ground, shaking.

"What's wrong with Prentiss, Fuuka?" demanded Hotch.

"Huh? Oh! I'm so sorry… I didn't even… she's… she's scared, something's frightening her," said Fuuka, suddenly. "Prentiss-san, snap out of it!"

"Prentiss, get up!" Hotch shouted, jumping back to get to her. She couldn't even look him in the eye; her teeth chattered.

"Agent Hotchner, I think there are others in the area," said Dojima. "I'm not sure Yamagishi can sense them, but…"

"I agree," said Hotch in a low voice. "Keep an eye out… wait, there!"

He saw it for a split second, but it only took that long for Odin to turn and cast a bolt of lightning against the Shadow. It was the clouds of dark rain; they kept coming in and out of the walls, sneaking around them. Hotch ordered everyone to get down as Odin sent forth a furious blast of electricity that struck all around the hallway, damaging many of the clouds and bringing them to light. To his shock, the snakes reflected the energy back into him, and he was thrown from his feet as it impacted him and Odin.

"Hotch! You okay?" asked J.J., sprinting over to him.

"I'm all right…" said Hotch. "Odin's attacks don't hurt him that badly… but…"

"The snake Shadows reflect all elemental damage!" Fuuka exclaimed. "A-and I can sense those Misty Shadows but… they don't seem to have any weaknesses to speak of…"

"But it seems that they can cause the status ailments," said Reid, who had suddenly calmed down. "What do you think we should do, Hotch?"

"Well… if we're careful, use your Personas to lay down a blanket of elemental attacks… and just be careful…" said Hotch.

The plan proved disastrous almost immediately. Though they appeared to have decimated one or two clouds, everyone's attacks rebounding back off the snakes made it so that everyone was hit with different combinations of elemental magic, including their weaknesses. They were even further compounded by the snakes, which had finally started to fight back as their covers were destroyed. They hit like a train, slamming their Personas into walls as they fought.

"We need to regroup," said Dojima, after he emptied another clip into one of the nearest snake.

"Yes… we'll have to resort to single-target spells; it's slower, but it's the only way we can ensure we won't hurt each other," said Hotch. "Reid, J.J., I want you to monitor our conditions with Fuuka and heal as necessary. Morgan, keep the snakes as busy as possible; Dojima will assist as necessary. Prentiss, you and I will out the clouds with our elements. Let's go!"

The system began to work fairly quickly, although it was still tedious as the clouds seemed able to slip in and out of the walls. The snakes would try to catch them off guard, even as Morgan, Ares, and Dojima put their best shots in on them. Fuuka shocked them all by announcing that the snakes were able to heal each other. This shocking information was paid for by Morgan, when a snake slammed hard into him and knocked him against the wall. It crushed him with its tale and he fell to the ground.

"Morgan, no!" cried Prentiss.

"He's… he's really hurt!" cried Fuuka. "Please, someone… heal him!"

Hotch hurried toward him, but he was blocked instantly by a snake, who swung at Odin, nearly knocking his helmet off. The two scuffled as the clouds around them, held at bay for so long, began to regroup. They focused on J.J., but Frigga blasted a handful away with a blast of air at the last second, leaving her unaffected. Reid tried to use the gold card on the snakes, but they just batted it away before Thoth could complete his ritual. As Hotch opened his mouth to give an order, the snake struck quickly and slammed him up against the wall, pinning him and Odin by the neck.

"Agent Hotchner's in trouble!" Fuuka yelled. "P-please, someone help him!"

"We're already down Morgan, we can't lose Hotch, too!" Prentiss cried, sending Apate careening toward him, though she was blocked by yet another snake.

"Heh… I'm not down just yet…" came Morgan's voice.

Hotch looked over to the opposite wall. Morgan had climbed to his feet and stood shakily, blood pouring down his head and from a couple gashes on his arms. But he affixed a grim smile on his face as he held the evoker to his head and screamed, "ARES!"

Ares appeared instantly, gathering power on the end of his sword, and swinging it across. A double layer of red energy blasted across the hallway, taking everyone by surprise. The snakes were knocked to the ground, and a hole was blown in one of the walls. The BAU and Dojima used the opportunity to immediately let loose with everything they had again. The snakes disintegrated quickly, leaving only a few straggling clouds that they picked off with relative ease.

"Th-the battle's over… no Shadows are left…" Fuuka muttered, after everyone had half-collapsed to their knees.

"That was… arduous, to say the least," said Reid, as he helped J.J. heal the others. "We really can't continue like this…"

"I think we need to go and get another Persona-user in our group," said Morgan firmly.

"I have to agree, unfortunately," said J.J. "Dojima, you've been a big help, but we really need—."

"You can't be serious!" cried Dojima. "Nanako is on the next floor! I can't just leave her now that we've come this far!"

"But if we find something there that might be even more powerful, then—," began Prentiss.

"How do you even know the Hell will let another Persona-user in?" demanded Dojima. "None of the others have! Maybe it let six of us in because I don't use a Persona! So if you try to boot me out now, maybe you'll just end up being down a man!"

Hotch hadn't thought of that, and it got him thinking. Dojima was pretty limited in versatility, but at least he was reliable to keep a continuous fire on the Shadows, and as long as Morgan or someone covered him…

"All right. We'll let you come with us to rescue Nanako. But then we're going to evacuate the two of you to safety," said Hotch. "We will attempt to recruit another Persona-user to test our hypothesis. Is that fair?"

"That's fine. Let's go, then!" he cried, leading the charge down the hall as fast as he could.

Up another staircase they went until they reached another passcode door, which slowly slid open, revealing the central BAU offices. The area with the desks in it was empty, but a strange flicker of light came from the meeting room. Dojima, calling his daughter's name, went sprinting ahead, as the others chased after him. Fuuka desperately tried to get their attention, but her voice broke up constantly.

"I can't read Fuuka," asid Hotch. "Any luck with you guys?"

"No; her voice cuts in and out," said Prentiss. "I think she said something about scanning the area…?"

"She's in here!" came Dojima's cry.

"Dojima, wait, it could be a trap!" J.J. exclaimed, chasing him in.

As the last BAU member crossed the threshold, the door behind them slammed shut and clicked. The blinds were immediately drawn down and turned to block everything else out. The room started to darken as orbs of Shadow energy began to float around. The meeting table and chairs were missing, but the boards along the walls and the computer monitors held more crime scene photos. In the center of all this madness was Nanako, curled up on the ground, apparently unconscious, with Dojima standing over her.

"Nanako! Nanako!" he cried, tears in his eyes. "Wake up!"

She stirred. "D… daddy…?"

"Oh thank God," he cried, picking her up in his arms. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"N-no… but… you must be careful… or the scary man will come back…" she muttered, faintly.

"The scary man?" asked Hotch, as the others formed a semi-circle around her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean…" Nanako said, but her eyes widened with horror as she looked up towards the ceiling. "No! Look out!"

They didn't have time to react. A collection of the white light had formed above them and crashed down, blasting everyone backwards and into a wall. Hotch dropped his Evoker as he was flung away from him. Only Dojima and Nanako were left in the center, having only been thrown a couple of feet. There was the sound of clapping, and, from above, a darkened figure with piercing yellow eyes began to sink towards the ground.

"So… your real Daddy has come to finally save you… huh…?" asked the figure.

"Who is that?" groaned Prentiss, attempting to crawl to her feet.

"I... isn't that… Dojima?" asked J.J., propping her back up against the wall.

The darkened Dojima, a sick grin on his face, stepped onto the ground and slowly walked forward, leaving a trail of black vapor behind him. As he walked forward, Nanako scrambled to get to her real father, but the Shadow was too quick, grabbing her and pulling her back, hugging her tightly to his side. Dojima snarled and pulled out his revolver, but the Shadow merely grinned at him.

"You wouldn't dare fire on me… you might hit your precious daughter…" he said, his voice echoing in the background.

Hotch could barely move; the pain in his chest from the wind being knocked out of him kept him floored. The other BAU members tried desperately to stand as well, some even picking up their Evokers and putting them to their heads. Upon seeing this, Shadow Dojima procured a dark gun of his own, and held the barrel against Nanako's head. She let out a yelp.

"Drop your weapons," said the Shadow. "Or I'll kill her. Do it now."

One by one, the Evokers and guns clattered to the floor at the Shadow's urging, they kicked all the weapons far into the center of the room. Even Dojima dropped his, his face contorted with fury. Hotch felt for the man, flashing back to the time when Foyet had his wife and child at his mercy. He glanced around at his team; he could tell they were all trying to figure out a way to help, their minds calculating every possible scenario in their minds as they watched Shadow Dojima drag Nanako further away from them.

"In hindsight… this may be for the better," said Shadow Dojima, grinning slyly. "After all… you haven't been a very good father, have you?"

"What do you mean?" Dojima asked, his voice dropping.

"Well… after all… you were so caught up in your work that, for years, Nanako had to take care of herself…" Shadow Dojima taunted. "Missed meals… school functions… vacations… all as this poor little girl was suffering from the new of her mothers' death."

"I'm sure Dojima did everything that he could to provide for her, given the situation!" J.J. interrupted.

"Oh did he now?" said Shadow Dojima with a hair-raising chuckle. "Then why is it that dear Ryotaro needed his nephew Yu Narukami to open his eyes to that? And just where were you when Namatame held your precious daughter hostage…?"

"I tried!" Dojima shouted, pulling himself to a kneeling position. "I couldn't save her… that was my failure. But I swore to never let that happen again!"

"And yet… it has…" said Shadow Dojima, grinning. "Face it. You're a terrible father…"

Hotch felt his stomach drop out. He knew exactly where this was going; and with Nanako still at the barrel of the gun, there was no denying what was about to happen. He frantically whispered for Fuuka, but all he could hear was a vague static noise through their communication.

"Don't bother; nothing can penetrate this room," said Shadow Dojima, grinning at Hotch. "You can thank your analyst for that… at least she's done _something_ useful today…"

"Don't talk about Garcia like that," growled Morgan. "Or I'll—."

"You'll do nothing while this little girl shields me," taunted Shadow Dojima. "Now… please do not interrupt me anymore. I'm speaking with my other self, thank you…"

"What do you mean, other self?" asked Dojima.

Hotch felt his stomach muscles tighten. _Here it comes..._

"I am a side to you… your true side… I am your Shadow, Ryotaro Dojima, and you cannot deny me!" screamed Shadow Dojima.

There was a moment where the entire BAU's head snapped immediately to Dojima. Hotch stood, bracing himself against the wall, willing himself to leap into action when Dojima rejected the Shadow. And yet… he didn't say anything. He just looked horrified and lost, looking between his Shadow and his daughter, both of whom leered and stared back, waiting for a response.

"You're… you're right…" Dojima finally said. "I… you part of me… the part I never wanted to see, to admit to, even. But… I have failed Nanako many times…"

"So wouldn't you say you've dishonored her? Isn't it time you just… I don't know… picked up one of those guns and ended it?" suggested the Shadow.

Dojima's eyes suddenly grew wide and his pupils dilated. Even in the growing darkness of the room, it was easy to see the fear and confusion suddenly plastered to his face. He fell forward, his hands coming to rest near the stack of guns in the center. He grabbed for one and picked it up, his breathing ragged and shallow.

"N-no! Daddy, stop!" cried Nanako.

"Don't worry, Nanako," said Shadow Dojima. "I will be your new Daddy… I promise to always be with you… I'll never abandon you, or let you go… like this failure over here…"

"No… no… you can't… you can't be part of my Daddy!" Nanako screamed, tears in her eyes. "He is brave and strong and he's been spending more time with me! And he's not mean, like you! You are NOT my father, and NEVER will be!"

The Shadow chuckled, and the laugh grew louder. He threw Nanako from him, and she fell to the ground with a gasp. Dojima didn't seem to react, as he held the gun to his mouth. Hotch couldn't tell whether it was an Evoker or a regular gun as the dark mist grew heavier. Shadow Dojima rose higher into the air, gathering a massive bolt of red and black energy, cackling as he did so.

"She's triggered the power… so Dojima can't fight it!" cried Prentiss.

"We've gotta do something, everyone, get your weapons!" Hotch roared, as he charged toward it as fast as he could.

"Say goodbye to your Daddy and his friends, Nanako!" roared Shadow Dojima. "Pull the trigger, ahahahah!"

"Nooo!" Nanako let out a long, pitiful wail.

**KA-BANG!**

The gunshot froze them in their tracks, as Dojima dropped the gun, and it clattered to the floor as he slumped backwards, the shock on his face still evident. For Hotch, time seemed to slow down again as Dojima's body fell, the others scrambled for their weapons, and the Shadow let loose his huge ball of energy, which crashed down in the center of the meeting room. The shockwave blew everyone back against the wall again. Hotch's head slammed against the whiteboard, stars in his eyes. As he felt himself sinking into unconsciousness, he saw a new light flickering in front of him, a white light that rose high in front of him.

His vision began to clear, as a wave of powerful healing energy swam over him. Hotch was the first to stand; the large explosion from the Shadow had left a fairly thick black miasma hanging over the room, but he could still vaguely make out the other BAU members, as they were in turn surrounded by the healing light, groaning as they crawled to their feet. They made their way to the bright light, and Hotch heard the girls and Reid gasp as they got closer. Hotch could hardly believe his eyes, too, as he spotted an angel in the midst of the darkened room.

She hovered silently above Dojima, her wings spread out protectively over the prone man. Her brown hair hung down just above her shoulders, a kind smile on her face that made her eyes twinkle. In one hand, she held a long, jewel-encrusted sword; in another, an umbrella with the symbol of Venus on it. She ignored the BAU members at that point, even as they advanced, solely focusing her eyes on Dojima, who still lie at her feet.

"Chi… sato…" muttered the man.

"Dojima, you're alive… thank God," said Hotch, kneeling next to him. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm… fine…" said Dojima, looking skyward. "But… that's… that's my wife…"

"Your wife is your Persona?" asked Reid.

"She's absolutely beautiful," said J.J., kneeling down to help Morgan bring Dojima to his feet.

"Nanako… where's Nanako?" asked Dojima, turning around.

"She's over there," said Prentiss, pointing. "She's unconscious I think…"

"She probably though I shot myself…" Dojima muttered. "I'd thought it as well but…"

"Where's the Shadow?" asked Hotch, whirling around.

"He's over there!" Morgan shouted, pointing far across the room. "I think Dojima's Persona knocked him off balance!"

Shadow Dojima had indeed been thrown hard against the wall, leaving a massive dent in it. But he had already begun to recover himself, pulling his way forward, breathing heavily and glaring at them. He raised his hand and a blast of fire tore through the room. The BAU rushed to grab their Evokers, but Chisato took the brunt of the attack. Dojima groaned heavily and fell to the ground, but Chisato almost immediately covered him in the healing light and he stood back up, a new determination on his face.

"I won't let you harm my daughter," he said. "Her real parents will stop you here and now."

"…. Gents…. Agents! Can… can you hear me…?" Fuuka's voice finally reached them.

"Yes, Fuuka, we can! What's going on?" asked Hotch.

"I… I sense a new Persona, so… um… the Shadow you're fighting… I can barely sense him, but don't use any Dark or Light attacks; he'll absorb or reflect them," Fuuka said, her voice wavering in strength. "I'll keep scanning…"

"That's fine. Let's go, everyone!" Hotch shouted, grabbing his Evoker and pulling the trigger.

Chisato was quickly joined by Odin, Ares, Frigga, Thoth, and Apate. They spread out around the room, attacking Shadow Dojima with whatever attacks they could shoot out. His lack of weaknesses made it hard to really do a lot of damage at first, but Apate was happy to oblige with further weakening magic, as the usual ones took turns attacking and charging their own attack power.

Dojima proved to be a ruthless foe when using his Persona. Chisato was capable of using strong blasts of any elemental spell, as well as a devastating sword attack, all of which he used in quick succession. Shadow Dojima easily took the most damage from him, but the same was said on the other side, too, and a few hits from the Shadow brought Dojima back to his knees, even with his Persona's healing. It was draining him faster than Hotch felt comfortable with, however.

"Fuuka, how is Dojima?" asked Hotch, as he watched Frigga and Apate send waves of wind and ice at Shadow Dojima.

"He's very weak… but mentally," said Fuuka. "He should take it easy on elemental attacks and healing until he recharges."

"It's… nothing…" Dojima muttered, stepping up and striding forward. "I can still fight."

"But if you're exhausted, you're going to be an easier target, and—," Hotch began.

"Precisely!" roared Shadow Dojima, abruptly breaking out of Ares' attack and diving directly into Chisato.

The blow caught Dojima by surprise, and he was thrown to the ground. Shadow Dojima immediately followed up by pointing his gun at Chisato, and quickly emptying the clip. Every bullet made both Dojima and his Persona twitch and trash, until one final one directly into Chisato's face knocked them both out. The angel faded from sight, as Shadow Dojima laughed in a very unbalanced way once again. Hotch felt a fresh peel of anger and was about to let Odin loose another furious blast of thunder on the demon when a new sound froze him in his tracks.

"No… not again… not Daddy… how… how could you…" came the weak cry of Nanako.

Hotch turned to see the young girl on her feet, though she was looking down. Tears were falling from her cheeks, as the darkness began to grown again, threatening to close itself around them. Shadow Dojima turned from the unconscious Dojima and began to slowly float towards her, the evil grin on his face. Morgan and Prentiss closed in to intercept him, but he blasted them and their Personas back with more concentrated blasts of dark and elemental power, doing the same for the others as they moved in to protect Nanako.

"Now, now, don't cry, Nanako… he was a failure of a father. I can be everything he wasn't… powerful, compassionate… I won't let you go ever again, remember?" asked Shadow Dojima.

"No…" Nanako replied, but this time, there was no fear in her voice. Only anger. "I… I won't let you ever hurt my Daddy again. If you even try to do it… I… I'll stop you with everything I've got!"

Around Nanako, a wind whipped up, her skirt and pigtails flapping in the breeze. She gasped and placed her hand on her chest, a look of shock on her face. The power seemed to grow, with a bluish-white light surrounding her as the wave of light grew bigger. From above, a small, spinning card floated down, until it landed in the palm of her outstretched hand. With an ear-piercing shriek, she crushed the card in her hand, as the sound of shattering glass filled the room. The light around her erupted even higher and further outward, as a loud "neigh" reached their ears. From behind Nanako, out leapt a large, white horse with a single horn on its head. It reared up in front of her, blocking Shadow Dojima from getting anywhere near the young girl.

"Wow…" muttered Hotch. "Nanako… you…"

"She has a Persona, too?!" exclaimed Fuuka, suddenly. "That's… that's amazing! She's so young!"

"Daddy… come back, please!" she pleaded loudly.

Unicorn reared up again and a white feather rose high from his hooves, arcing across the room and into her father's limp body. It flashed around him, and he awoke with a gasp. He shook his head to get his bearings, and stood up again, picking up his gun as he did so. He glanced at Hotch, his daughter, and her Personas, looking back to Hotch, who nodded and handed him his Evoker. Seconds later, Chisato had rejoined them as well.

"But… how can you…" Shadow Dojima said, fury in his voice. "No matter… it's time for me to end this battle. Now… all of you… DIE!"

He tried to use his powerful black/red energy blast, but he found it rebounding on him from Chisato, while Apate shrugged it off, both continuing in to attack again. The others were briefly knocked back by it, but Nanako surprised them by casting a healing spell that covered everyone at once, giving them the energy to jump back into the fray. Shadow Dojima, cursing, started to fire wildly at everyone, the bullets ricocheting off of the walls. One struck Unicorn and Nanako fell to the ground with a sharp cry.

"She's weak to physical attacks! Be careful!" Fuuka cried out.

"You son of a bitch!" roared Dojima.

Above him, Chisato held her sword high above her, a red blast of electricity exploding around her. The others, flashing back to one of their first battles together, immediately began to prepare Shadow Dojima for the next blow. Thoth healed Nanako and Unicorn while Apate began to debuff Shadow Dojima as much as possible. Ares and Frigga focused on buffing up Chisato, while Hotch kept Shadow Dojima distracted.

"It's amazing how many unfit parents we've got here, isn't it, Agent?" asked Shadow Dojima as he and Odin tussled with the spear.

"You think so?" asked Hotch, as he knocked Shadow Dojima away with the spear, firing another bolt of lightning at him. "I don't see how."

"Well between you, that blonde bitch over there, the murderess, and of course my useless other self…" he said, chuckling. "I just found it funny, is all."

"You know what I find funny?" asked Hotch, his voice dropping again. "This. NOW!"

"Heaven's Blade!" roared Dojima, coming from out of nowhere.

Shadow Dojima turned and gasped as Chisato barreled towards him, her sword blindingly slicing through the air. She cut right through the Shadow and, with one final roar of fury, he dissipated into the black orbs of Shadow energy, fading into the night, as the darkness once again got less powerful, letting the light shine through. The Personas all hovered momentarily in their sight before they disappeared again.

"Oh Nanako… I'm so, so sorry…" Dojima cried, hugging his daughter tightly. "You were so brave…!"

"You, too," said Nanako, hugging him. "Thank you for coming to save me… and thank you, Agents, for keeping my Daddy safe."

"Now aren't you glad we didn't send him back?" asked Reid, chuckling. "Looks like we've got two more Persona users to help us get through the rest of this place."

"Yes… I don't have any objections to that, as long as you are all okay with it," Hotch said. "Bear in mind, we've still got about 6 or 7 floors until we meet Garcia…"

"Um… but… there's a direct elevator, I think," said Nanako.

"What do you mean?" asked Dojima.

"Uh… well… when Ms. Garcia and I came here, there was this other guy… and he lead us here… and he started taking us up this elevator, but he made me get out here…" said Nanako.

"Do you remember what he looked like?" asked Hotch, kneeling down to look at the young girl.

"N-no, sorry, I was very, very sleepy… but… he didn't seem like he wanted to hurt us…" said Nanako. "At least… not me… Garcia-san looked scared, though…"

"So… is that our UnSub, or Garcia's Shadow…?" asked Prentiss.

"There's only one way to find out," said Hotch. "Can you lead us to that elevator, Nanako?"

"Yes… it's over this way…" said Nanako.

"Fuuka, have you gotten all this?" Hotch asked, briefly turning attention back to their outside help.

"I… think so," said Fuuka. "But please, be careful! I don't know how much higher Juno will let me talk to you guys with…"

They followed Nanako out of the meeting room, back through the main office area of the BAU, and into the hallway. There were no Shadows left on the floor, according to Fuuka, so it wasn't hard to find the elevator, the same one they used every day coming to and from work. They questioned Nanako as the elevator began its ascent, but she couldn't give them any further information because her mind was still foggy. Finally, the floor dinged on the 11th level and they stepped out into the corridor. They recognized it immediately as the one that lead down to Garcia's office in the tech wing.

"Fuuka, can you hear me? Fuuka?" asked Hotch.

Only the vague static responded. Hotch sighed; they were on their own again. He had everyone take a few moments to heal up and stretch their aching muscles, mentally preparing themselves for the battle they were about to endure with little-to-no back-up. Dojima tried to convince Nanako to go back down and wait with the others outside, but she resolutely refused to leave Garcia behind. Hotch took his Evoker out, and the others followed suit.

"Once we summon, J.J. will hand her evoker off to Nanako, and mine to Dojima," said Hotch. "Again, we don't know what we'll find in there, whether it be an UnSub or, more likely, Garcia's Shadow. We have to be ready for anything; we have no contact with the outside. We are relying entirely on ourselves for this. And if we've pegged our UnSub correctly, he will have no problem taking us all down, or die trying."

"Dojimas, do you know what your Personas are capable of yet?" asked Prentiss.

"Uh… well… Chisato seems capable of powerful attacks… uh… physical and elemental…" said Dojima.

"My Unicorn can heal you… I… I guess…" said Nanako. "I'm not sure what else…"

"This is good," said Hotch, thinking for a moment. "Nanako can take up most healing duties, trading off with J.J. and Reid, which will let them have more flexibility in battle. Dojima, you will join Morgan and myself as offensive fighters. Prentiss, we're counting on you to do some weakening. Everyone understand?"

"Got it," everyone said.

"Let's go…" said Hotch.

As they walked closer to the door, Hotch's heart began to beat faster. He wasn't sure if it was the lack of support, the fact that it was Garcia's Personal Hell, or the worry of just what the Shadow would look like when they entered, but his hand actually trembled as he reached for the doorknob. Slowly, he turned it, and they stepped inside.

The cavernous room was stacked with computers, monitors, and servers, each playing snippets of memory from Garcia's mind from a young age, up through and including the time with the BAU. Printers spewed out yards upon yards of papers with various documents and photos on them, as they heard the frantic whispers and sounds of typing. They stepped inside, working their way around the towers of wires and computer equipment, until they finally rounded a corner near the center and saw, to their shock, a figure collapsed on the ground, with another standing over her. One was Garcia.

The other was the flight attendant, Fionn Calder.

**Author's Note:**

**I actually had this mostly done last night, and then I got hit by a bus-sized sinus infection that floored me and caused me to get no sleep last night. So, I finished it tonight in a haze of illness. Please refer to the profile for the next scheduled update. Thank you, again, for taking the time to read this!**


	15. Chapter 15: Victory

Chapter Fifteen: Victory

"Agents… I…" Fionn began, stuttering. "Garcia, she's…"

"Fionn Calder…" Hotch said, drawing his pistol. "Step away from Garcia and keep your hands in the air."

"What…?" the flight attendant said, his eyes bulging. "But… I…"

"Get away from Garcia, scumbag!" roared Morgan. "Or we'll blast you apart."  
>"No, wait, you don't understand!" cried Fionn, who didn't step back, but actually took a few steps closer to Garcia. "Wait… are you… even real…?"<br>"What do you mean? Of course we're real!" snarled Morgan.

"Nanako… do you recognize this voice?" asked Hotch, suddenly.

"Y-yes…" said the young girl. "I heard it earlier… when Garcia-san and I were brought through…"

"Fionn Calder, you're under arrest for the kidnappings of Nanako Dojima and Penelope Garcia, as well as being suspect in the murders across the United States. You have the right to remain—," began Hotch, taking a few steps forward.

"No… this… this isn't right…" Fionn muttered. "It… it can't be… you must be… … I'm not going to let Garcia's Shadows get the best of her…"

"Wait a minute, what are you…?" began Prentiss.

To their shock, a single card appeared above Fionn. It floated down in front of him, where he took hold of it and crushed it in his hand. As with Nanako, the blue-white light began to flash around him, as the wind whipped up, his hair and shirt flapping freely in the breeze. A huge, fiery bird grew and spread its wings around the young man, a high cry escaping from it as it did so.

"Die!" roared Fionn.

Strong blasts of fire roared through the room, but Fionn's accuracy wasn't as good as it could have been. The fires slammed along the walls and the ceiling, as well as the floor, destroying several computer monitors along the way, and only grazing Reid and J.J. as they dove out of the way. Taking their Evokers up, the BAU members Summoned their Personas, passing it on to Nanako and Dojima so that they, too, could fight back. Across the room, as the smoke and dust cleared, they could see Fionn and his Persona, still standing close to Garcia.

"We can't attack him directly until we get him away from Garcia… we can't risk hitting her," said Hotch.

"Exactly," said Reid. "Our first priority should be to strengthen ourselves, while weakening him. If we can fend off his attacks long enough to get him away from her, he shouldn't be too hard to—."

Reid was cut off when Fionn's Persona launched another attack, this time one of spiraling blasts of wind which were slightly truer in aim. Frigga and Unicorn were able to shrug it off, but Ares was blasted backwards, which took Morgan off his feet and had him land hard on his back. The others, many knocked a few feet back themselves, struggled to regroup as the dust began to settle again.

"Prentiss… and Nanako, if you can… stand back and start disabling him to the best of your abilities, okay?" said Hotch. "He's already fairly inaccurate, so focus on his attack power and defenses."

"Okay… got it," they said, moving to the back of the room.

"Morgan, you, Dojima, and I will take the front area and try to get him away from Garcia. Reid an J.J., stay in the center and supplement with healing or defensive attacks," said Hotch.

As they spread out, they could clearly see Fionn get nervous. He also began to talk to himself.

"Okay… so… you think spreading out will work… of course, I can't really hit you anyway… but… … a-are you sure…? All right, Phoenix, do your thing, then!" Fionn said.

Phoenix surrounded himself and Fionn with a flash of bright green light. The bird flew high into the sky almost immediately afterward, let out another loud screech, and another fresh rain of fire came down on them. His aim was much truer this time, and they heard Prentiss cry out in pain behind them as the flames exploded around them.

"Damn it… what could he be weak against?" asked Morgan.

"I'm going to hazard a wild guess and assume he might be weak to ice," said Reid, from behind them as he surrounded Dojima with a wave of purple light. "Just… you know… a thought."

"… oh, right… that makes sense," said Dojima. "Let's go, Chisato!"

Above him, the angel channeled a block of ice in front of her, and then launched it high up into the sky where Phoenix hovered. The bird, surprisingly, dodged the ice, and the huge block shattered into many smaller ones, all of which plummeted to the ground and landed around Fionn and Garcia.

"Dojima, watch it!" yelled Morgan. "Don't hit Garcia!"

"Sorry! I didn't think he'd be able to dodge that quickly," replied Dojima.

"Wow… it… it worked… amazing!" Fionn muttered to himself. "All right, Phoenix, get them!"

The bird suddenly dove for the ones in front. Odin fired a blast of electricity at him, and a gust of wind came from behind from Frigga, but the bird instead dove right for Ares, spiraling with the beak first. To their surprise, Ares managed to deflect the first shot and, for the second, grabbed the bird by the neck, hurtling him towards the side wall. In front of them, Fionn was hurtled to the side, crashing into a desk full of computers with a scream of shock and pain.

"NOW!" roared Hotch, sprinting forward.

The three frontline fighters went after Phoenix, who was still struggling to regain its balance. Odin hurtled an electrically-charged spear into the bird, while Ares blasted him with the strange red-wave energy attack and Dojima loosed another blast of ice. There was a powerful neighing sound and Hotch glanced back in time to see Reid, Prentiss, and Nanako riding on the back of Unicorn, hurrying across the large room to Garcia's side. They managed to get Garcia's body up on the back of the horse before it ran back to the other side of the room. J.J., meanwhile, moved to where Fionn still lay on the ground.

"No… no… you can't… you can't take her… from me…" muttered Fionn. "Get back!"

The bird, encased in ice and heavily wounded, charged up another blast of fire, which sent everyone but Ares flying backwards. Ares shrugged it off, which let Morgan lead him in one final attack, a slash with his sword that made the Persona disappear completely. Across the room, Fionn fell to his knees and crashed forward on the floor, unconscious.

"He's down!" Morgan called.

"Leave him; we need to see about Garcia," said Hotch.

The entire BAU and Dojima hurried back to the entrance to the room. Nanako and Unicorn stood over Garcia, a ray of light radiating around them and down into the unconscious woman. As the light faded, Garcia stirred and groaned, opening her eyes and blinking around at all of them. A bewildered look shot across her face, and she gasped.

"You… you guys! You're all here… I… I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "And… and Dojima-san, sir, I'm so sorry! I never… I never meant to put Nanako in trouble…"

She was helped to her feet by Morgan and J.J., still hyperventilating and stammering out apologies. Everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, now that they had Garcia back. However, before they could start to evacuate her, they heard something stirring on the other side of the room. They turned and, to their horror, they saw Fionn slowly climbing to his feet.

"No…" he muttered. "I… I won't let you take her… I will… not… lose…!"

The card appeared again and he crushed it, sending his Phoenix back out. The bird immediately surrounded itself and Fionn with the flash of green light. The BAU members, Nanako, and Dojima hurriedly re-summoned their own Personas. Behind them, Garcia stepped forward, leaning on Prentiss as she did so. Hotch noticed that her own eyes were full of concern and guilt.

"Fionn… please… don't fight them! They're real; they're not my Shadow! I thank you for trying to save me but-!" she started.

"No… they've got you Charmed… it's okay, Garcia… I'll snap you out of it!" Fionn exclaimed.

He was surrounded again, this time by the blue shock of electricity. The bird flew higher into the sky, screeching. The other Persona users stepped forward, as Garcia reluctantly summoned Hathor. At least now they had reliable back up, something Hotch was incredibly grateful for.

"I hate to do this… but… scanning…" Garcia said. "… okay… be careful… he's charged his agility and his magic power is off the charts!"

"Weaknesses?" asked Morgan, as the others formed the same defensive line they'd formed the last time.

"Ice… and Darkness. He will null your Fire attacks and is strong to Wind and Light…" Garcia said. "But keep in mind he also is able to Dodge Ice attacks pretty well; Prentiss be sure to use that sparingly."

"As will I…" said Dojima.

"Oh… I'm sorry! I didn't realize… let me scan your Personas, too, so I can give you… some helpful tips…" Garcia said.

"All right… let's just do as we did before," said Hotch. "Let's go!"

Just before they launched their first assault, Phoenix had surrounded itself with the green light again. Odin's first burst of thunder, Ares' first sword swing, and Chisato's first bolt of ice all completely missed as the bird swooped down and flew past them and the second line. Thoth dove out of the way while Frigga fired a blast of wind at the bird, but it merely shrugged it off and went straight for Apate. The blast of fire, doubly powerful to begin with, caught Prentiss off-guard, and both she and her Persona were thrown hard against the back wall, next to Garcia.

"Fionn, stop!" pleaded Garcia. "Guys, Em is real hurt… watch out when he uses the blue electricity!"

"I'm… okay…" said Prentiss, struggling hard to even stand. "Just… get him…"

"So… that didn't… that didn't break the curse…?" Fionn said. "Fine… again, Phoenix!"

The bird flew back across the arena, this time trailing the spinning whirlwinds from each flap of its wings. The wind not only slashed at their Personas, but it began to pick up the debris in the room, hurtling it at the BAU members and their Personas. A ruined hard drive hit Morgan in the neck and an entire Monitor slammed into Frigga, causing J.J. to cry out in pain.

"Nanako can heal you all, so don't focus on that…" said Hotch. "Garcia… any idea why he was able to revive?"

"I… I can't say for sure… but I think it might have something to do with his Persona's abilities," Garcia said.

"Well the Phoenix is known for being able to rise from the ashes anew at its death," said Reid. "Maybe this is a similar thing?"

He had Thoth swing at the bird as it swept back through, faking them out and instead rising to the center of the room, surrounding itself with the blue lightning again. Garcia sent out a warning to watch for a powerful magic attack, but then they were taken aback to see a the Sukunda spell activate on the bird. From the back row, Nanako and Unicorn continued to utilize the spell, slowing the bird down.

"Good call, Nanako-chan!" Garcia shouted. "He's been slowed down; go for it!"

A blast of ice from Apate, a blast of air from Frigga, two slashes of the sword from each Ares and Chisato, and a burst of electricity from Dojima was all it took to wound the bird and knock it off course. However, it immediately retaliated with an extremely powerful gust of wind, which sent everyone spinning, none more so than Morgan, who was blown about thirty feet back, landing on his back and head.

"Morgan's down!" Garcia shouted. "Be careful!"

"I-I can heal him…" Nanako shouted, sending the Persona forward. "Pl-please cover me!"

"Nanako, stay back!" Dojima called.

"Incoming!" Garcia shouted.

Their lapse in concentration was paid for when Phoenix swooped back in, his beak piercing the back of Unicorn. Nanako let out a scream of pain, and Dojima immediately let out a furious roar, as Chisato was surrounded by a blast of red electricity.

"Stop that bird and I'll kill it!" he roared.

"On it…" Prentiss said, picking up Nanako's debuffing slack with Apate.

Hotch was joined by J.J. on the frontlines, since Morgan was out of commission and Reid had sent his Persona to heal Nanako. For a brief moment, there were several minutes of fighting between Prentiss and Fionn, as she would make Apate weaken the bird's agility, while Fionn would try to boost it. In the meantime, Hotch and Frigga spammed blasts of electricity and wind at the bird, while Dojima continued to pelt the beast with Ice. Finally, just after a time Prentiss had weakened its agility, Dojima struck the bird again with ice, clipping its left wing and sending it falling.

"Let's go!" he roared.

Everyone who wasn't healing piled on the attacks, as if a huge cloud of violence had overtaken the room. When the dust settled again, the bird had disappeared. Drenched in sweat and gasping to get their breath back, the BAU members looked to Fionn. Again, he had fallen to one knee, a look of intense pain upon his face. But he hadn't fallen over just yet.

"I… I can't do this… Garcia… I'm so sorry…" he muttered.

"Fionn! Wait!" Garcia exclaimed.

She walked forward as quickly as she could, kneeling down next to the boy. Hotch kept his hand on his pistol, but didn't draw it as he and the others approached the kneeling boy. Although it was frustrating, Hotch had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't their UnSub after all.

"So… then… you all aren't the Shadow, then…?" Fionn muttered. "I'm so sorry for attacking you… I thought you were… trying to kill her…"

"The opposite, actually," said Hotch. "Calder, how did you end up in this place?"

"Well… Garcia here and I were talking the other night, after you guys got off our plane and I got to the hotel, and she said I could have one of her max-level disused characters," said Fionn. "In return for a couple of rare items I have on my server. But doing that means we have to log on to each other's servers for confirmation…"

"I completely forgot I gave him my information… so I didn't even think to warn him when we started going in and out like this…" muttered Garcia, guiltily.

"Yeah… that would have made this a little easier," said Fionn, chuckling feebly. "But… when I logged into her name, the screen flashed weird, and I guess I got sucked in to my computer…? I know it sounds crazy but… that seems to be what happened…"

"When was that?" asked Hotch.

"Like… last night? I know it's tough to say with time zone changes; we're actually in Guam at the moment because the crazy storms on the mainland US made us divert," said Fionn. "But when I woke up, I wandered around a bit… and after a while I ran into this building here. I didn't want to go in… but then I noticed that Garcia and the young woman there were being led in by some guy—."

"The UnSub, maybe?" interrupted Dojima.

"I… I don't know… I didn't get a good look at him," said Fionn.

"I know who it was… it was my Shadow…" Garcia muttered.

"It was?!" exclaimed everyone else.

"Remember Jason Battle…? That deputy who shot me…?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah, of course…" said J.J. "But… then… where is he?"

"I already beat him," said Garcia, simply.

"… what?" everyone asked, stunned.

"Yeah… I kinda anticipated it after watching you all go through your stuff, so… I just kinda agreed with what he was saying…" said Garcia, sighing. "It was kinda funny… he almost seemed disappointed. But… Hathor kinda isn't built for combat, so..."

"… that's… amazing, honestly," said Hotch. "But… I'm very proud of you. What happened after you… uh… 'beat' him?"

"Well…" said Garcia, blushing. "See… I'd been up for like… 28 hours with virtually no sleep… so I kinda passed out…"

"Ah… okay, then, I guess that explains everything," said Hotch. "I think we should head back outside, then, the others are likely waiting for us…"

"Yeah… I'm really sorry for the confusion, everyone. I thought I triggered you all to appear when I was messing with her computer and stuff…" said Fionn.

"My computer? Oh… this is my set-up back in Quantico," said Garcia. "What exactly were you trying to mess with?"

"Oh, it's some file that you have protected in like seven different ways…" said Fionn, offhandedly.

"Garcia, is that the file with all our personal information in it?" asked Reid.

"Yeah… that one I made after I got hacked on the FBI system," said Garcia. "You know… my track record with MMO's and you all getting in trouble is pretty bad. Maybe I need to quit…"

"Fionn, did you say weren't able to crack it?" asked Hotch.

"N-no… I'm no hacker, so it was going to be a hopeless fight for me… but I don't know why it was so prominently displayed…" said Fionn.

"Hmm…" muttered Garcia. "I wonder if the dungeon has changed it somehow…? Mind if I take a look at it?"

"Go ahead. Reid, can you heal Fionn, please?" asked Hotch.

"Maybe someone should revive Morgan, too?" suggested Prentiss, chuckling.

"Oh… right… I forgot about him," said Reid. "Nanako-chan, can you handle that?"

"Sure!" replied the young girl.

After the others had been revived and patched up, they grouped around Garcia, whose fingers clacked away on the keyboard. They brought Morgan up to speed, his grin stretching across his whole face as they relayed Garcia's anti-climactic defeat of her own Shadow. Finally, five minutes later, Garcia gasped.

"I… I unlocked it, and it did something, but I don't know what…" she said.

"Oh boy… here we go…" said Prentiss, rolling her eyes. "Garcia just broke the world."

Suddenly, the whole room began to shake. The BAU members gasped and took a few steps away from the wall of computer monitors. Garcia clambered out of her chair and stumbled backwards as well. Suddenly, the pictures of each BAU member briefly flashed across the screen, and then something shot through and ran along the walls, as though the whole room was a giant motherboard. The shaking slowed and eventually stopped, as everyone stood or knelt in a brace position around the room.

"Wh… what was that?" asked Dojima.

"I can't say for sure… I might have altered something about this world by doing that…?" said Garcia. "Let me check…"

She took a few steps towards the computer and then gasped. Suddenly, several wires shot out of the wall in front of her, wrapping themselves around her arms. Garcia shrieked as a burst of electricity shot along them. Hotch felt his adrenaline immediately kick in as he and the others started to run towards her, but they were blasted back by an invisible barrier. The wires picked Garcia up off the ground and the monitors fell off the wall forming Hathor. A bright light surrounded them, blinding the remaining BAU members as Garcia gasped.

When Hotch opened his eyes, he felt his heart stop. Hovering in front of him was a much different Persona than Hathor. An angel held Garcia in its grasp, chained with the multi-colored wires that went up under its arms and formed the hair of the Persona. One arm held Garcia tight in her grasp, the was held upright, palm facing out, as if caught in an eternal high-five. Large, translucent wings on the Persona's back displayed a variety of texts and graphs, each indecipherable because the wings were folded in and at rest. The Angel slowly floated down until its feet, as well as Garcia's were firmly planted on the floor.

"This… this is amazing…" Garcia said. "… I… I can see so much more now… I can see everything about your Persona's... your strengths and weaknesses are crystal clear… and… I can even see the powers your Personas are capable of…"

"What happened to Hathor?" asked Morgan. "And are you okay, Garcia?"

"I'm fine, Morgan… but… this isn't Hathor," said Garcia, smiling. "Her name is Nike… the Goddess of Victory."

Hotch gave one of his rare smiles. "Very fitting for you, Garcia. After all, half of the time, you are the reason we're able to find the people we need to find."

"Thank you, Hotch," said Garcia, grinning. "I appreciate it… but… something's coming."

Whispers began to fill the room. Distant cries of guilt, snarls of anger, and wails of anguish reached their ears. Along the walls, black mist began to fill the room, solidifying into shapes of faceless humans of all sizes and shapes. The faceless Shadows surrounded them as the whispers also flew around the room.

"_You couldn't save her… how could I have… why didn't you try harder?! This is your fault… you did this… if you'd worked harder… if you'd responded faster… you mean he was alive yesterday…? I don't want excuses! Why did you lie? I'm so sorry... if I'd known…"_

Some of the voices sounded vaguely familiar, but the legion of faceless Shadows talked over each other, and individual identification became impossible. The BAU collapsed in together, as they formed a protective circle. Garcia and Nike hovered above them, her wings fully extended. It showed monitors keeping a watch on each of her BAU companions, as well as Nanako, Dojima, and even Fionn. The Shadows began to stir and wave around, though none moved forward to attack. But, for the second time, they began to notice that some had the vaguely-flashing purple color on their skins as well.

"Garcia…" Hotch said, suddenly. "Do you know anything about the purple Shadows?"

"Hmm…" said Garcia, looking at each of them. "The flashing purple… … that means the dungeons are in Heroic mode."

"Oh… Heroic… of course…" Fionn muttered. "So that's why you have so many people in here with you…"

"Care to explain what Heroic is?" asked Prentiss, as she watched the Shadows around them continue their wild dancing.

"Think of it as the dungeons of Divinity on Hard Mode," said Garcia. "You can group with an extra person, but the enemies are that much harder."

Hotch kept his eyes sweeping the sea of Shadows around them. His hand tightened on his Evoker, but, yet again, the dungeon seemed to be holding everything back until the last of the Shadow vapor had been solidified. Then, almost all of them began to charge at once, with various colors of light surrounding them, even as the insults and lamentations grew louder and louder. Hotch's heart began to beat faster and faster.

"Garcia, I think they're preparing to attack…" said Hotch.

"Yes, you're correct," said Garcia. "There's too many for me to individually call weaknesses, but… I think I have a plan. Just open fire on everything until I can get my plan together, but be careful."

"If you're sure… everyone, fire!" shouted Hotch.

As soon as the sound of Evokers firing rang out, the onslaught began. From all directions, blasts of fire, ice, wind, and electricity shot through. Occasionally flashes of green, orange, and purple would blast through as well, buffing random enemies, who would then charge up their own attacks. The roar of the explosions and sounds became deafening, as Hotch speared three of the Shadows at once with Odin's spear, casting an enormous bolt of electricity down into them as well.

Morgan and J.J. stood next to him, both firing their own Personas' energy into the center. But then, to their shock, one of the Shadows Morgan had aimed a burst of fire into had reflected it, and the blast shot back into Ares, Frigga, and Odin. The three BAU members recoiled in pain. Behind them, Prentiss and Nanako had been hit with chunks of ice returned by the Shadows on that side. They couldn't hear each other think, but, luckily for them, Garcia's new Persona seemed to be able to speak even more clearly directly into their heads.

"Be careful; a lot of them can reflect attacks. I think you guys should do what you usually do; fighters on the front, healers in the center. Keep an eye out for buffs and debuffs on you guys. Hotch, J.J. don't forget your Dekaja and Dekunda spells; those will be insurmountably important here…" Garcia said. "Sorry for taking so long on this; I'm trying out Nike's new system for finding weaknesses. I should have another plan in a couple minutes…"

The combatants maneuvered carefully, doing their best to dodge not only the enemy attacks, but the often-repelled ones. Hotch, Dojima, Morgan, Prentiss, and J.J. stood on the outer edge, firing round after round of powerful magic and physical attacks into the crowd, often sending their Personas charging in. Behind their semi-circle of protection, Reid, Nanako, and Fionn kept watch on everyone's stats, making sure to constantly buff defenses and agility, while Nanako took care of healing.

"Are their numbers thinning out at all, Garcia?" asked Hotch, after another brutal backlash of razor-like wind from Frigga.

"A little, but some of them are capable of healing so even when it looks like you've defeated one, they may still not be quite dead…" said Garcia. "But I'm starting to see patterns based on size… the smallest are often weaker to physical attacks, while the tallest are usually the ones who will reflect or absorb damage… middle ones are all over the place, but I'm trying to figure out what it is…"

"Thanks, Garcia," said Hotch. He had to shout over the whisper and explosions to get Morgan and Dojima's attention. "Physical attacks, you two! Aim low!"

Ares immediately charged in with a flurry of slashes with his sword, but even that energy was somehow rebounded by a couple of them, knocking the other BAU members down. Dojima seemed to have more luck finding the smaller enemies, as he charged up Chisato and then sent them flying back one at a time with the big sword attack. Out of nowhere, circles of silver light encompassed some of the larger enemies and exploded, taking them with them.

"Who was that?" asked Hotch.

"That was Nanako, actually. Good show, Nanako," said Garcia. "Thanks for testing that out for me."

After the silver power had been used, an ear-shattering scream tore through all of the Shadows around them. Several of the tallest ones in the back strode forward, raising their arms. Orbs of red and blue began to surround different enemies before disappearing seconds later. It was like when they'd fought Reid's Shadow.

"What do we do now?" asked Hotch.

"Hmm… some of them are invulnerable to damage, but not all of them… try and see if you can find the ones that weren't… but just hang in there for now…" said Garcia.

"That's not helpful!" exclaimed Hotch.

The Shadows made use of their selective invulnerability by taking that time to move forward around the BAU members, clawing at them, firing magic point blank into the faces of the Personas, and by continuing to reflect every attack. The damage began to add up, and Hotch had his legs give out on him more than once from sheer exhaustion. Hotch retaliated on one with a bolt of electricity, but it was one who had been surrounded with the blue orb and it rebounded. Next to him, J.J. fell to her knees, gasping in pain.

"We're getting overrun! I don't think Nanako and Reid can heal quick enough for this, nor Fionn!" Hotch cried.

"It's okay… I've got this," said Garcia, her voice sounding almost eerily calm.

Hotch looked up and was surprised to see Garcia floating almost directly above them, parallel to the ground. The screens on Nike's back showed very critical stats and flashing messages for each of the BAU members, even as the Shadows continued to tear at the Personas. As Hotch watched, a silver light began to grow at the end of Nike's outstretched hand. It grew wider and brighter until it almost completely obscured the Persona entirely.

"Garcia, what are you…?" asked Hotch.

"Megidolaon," Garcia said, simply.

The Silver light drove right into the ground and exploded outward. Though the light didn't seem to harm any of the BAU members, nor the Dojimas or Fionn, the Shadows caught in the massive blast were torn apart with final screams of pain and despair. The blast also knocked pretty much everything else off the walls, collapsing part of the ceiling, too. Once their eyes readjusted to the darkness, they saw that Nike and Garcia were hovering right in front of them, their technical analyst grinning widely.

"Okay… gotta admit… that was pretty sick…" Fionn muttered, breaking the stunned silence.

"Thanks… oh, but you guys don't look so good… here, let me handle that, too!" Garcia said.

Nike raised her hand again, and a pure light ran through all of the others. Hotch felt all of his aches completely disappear, and he felt almost completely energized. Around him, the others climbed back to their feet, stretching or testing their limbs for movement. Garcia touched the ground and her Persona faded away. She knelt down, breathing heavily, as Morgan and J.J. again rushed to her side.

"Okay… that… that was cool and all…" said Garcia. "But… man… talk about exhausting…"

"I didn't know you had it in you! I figured you'd only be support…" Prentiss said.

"Me too… but… Nike can't do much more than what I just did… Megidolaon… Salvation… and of course my improved search functions… it's… tought…" she said, in between gasps for air.

"Well you did us proud, baby girl. Now you're a little warrior, just like the rest of us," said Morgan, playfully throwing his arm around her.

"So while we're letting Garcia catch her breath… what's next?" asked Prentiss.

"I'm not sure about this, as I'm just guessing… but… what about the rest of your dungeons…? Do they have Heroic modes too?" asked Fionn.

"Yes…" said Garcia. "I… I think I might have released it when I brought Nike out… but… I think we should explore them."

"If our Personas are going to get that much more powerful, that might be a good idea," said J.J. "No telling how powerful our UnSub is going to be."

"Actually, that brings up a good point. Fionn, have you heard any other voices in this world since you entered?" asked Hotch.

"Actually… yes, now that you mention it… it was cutting in and out, but it was someone who seemed to be bitching about… uh… his own failing power? Like he was struggling to keep something in check," said Fionn.

"So the UnSub is having problems on his side, wherever that is," said Prentiss. "We'll have to have Rossi look into that."

"That might be more difficult than you think," said Reid. "With the level of storms reaching biblical proportions, entire metropolises are out of power at the moment. Where do we even start?"

"That's… something I can help with…" Garcia said. "Actually… I was working with Kevin on this before Nanako and I got sucked in… we think there's a definite connection between some of our victims and their real-life people. I'll be able to better explain when I get a working computer…"

"Well, what do you think, then?" asked J.J. "Sounds like we can either go after our possible 'Heroic' dungeons… or we can get back to the real world and get more information on our UnSub… what do you guys think?"

Hotch took a moment to think things through. The UnSub's M.O. was pretty obvious; he was certainly using the game to murder his victims. With that cut off, he would most certainly have become unstable, but since the game was everything to him, he would be putting all his energy into getting it back online. Once he did that… since they didn't know to what extent he had control over the world, he might make it his job to wipe out the entire BAU and their allies. Maybe it would be better for them to have as much strength as possible. Besides, even if they did identify him, there was no way they could get back to the US with so many major airports shut down due to the weather…

"I think we should strengthen our Personas as much as possible," said Hotch. "If our UnSub continues as he is, he might try to wipe us out the moment he gets reliable internet and electricity back."

"I agree," said Morgan. "Besides… if Garcia's Persona could do something that powerful, who knows what the rest of us are capable of?"

"Somehow I feel like that was a backhand compliment…" Garcia said. "You want I should Megidolaon Mr. Ares?"

"N-no way, that's fine," said Morgan. "I just meant… I want to see what Ares turns into is all."

"By the way, Fionn, something that's been bothering me… how'd you come into possession of your Persona?" asked Reid.

"Heh… it's a really, really long story," said Fionn. "I'll be happy to explain on the flight back to the US once this is all over. Suffice to say, it wasn't in this world."

"That's… good enough for now, I suppose," said Hotch. "Garcia, if you're ready, let's get out of here."

"Yeah… this place still gives me shivers. It's like… Quantico, but not," said Prentiss.

They left the devastated computer room behind and stepped into the elevator outside, riding all the way down to the bottom floor. As they walked along the hallways, which still showed damage from their initial battles, Garcia tried not to look at the pictures of the BAU members on the walls, until Hotch and Morgan walked on either side of her, in such a way as to block her vision of the pictures, until they finally were able to exit the building to reunite with the others outside.

**Author's Note:**

**Since it's not going to be shown in this story, I'll just explain here that Fionn has his Persona because he was one of the two main characters in the original fanfiction for Person I had intended to write: Persona –depths-. I cancelled the story but I still wanted Fionn to be involved so I put him in this story. I didn't even have a full plot for the other story so… yeah. That's why Fionn has Phoenix **


	16. Chapter 16: Heroic

Chapter Sixteen: Heroic

"Nanako! You're safe!" exclaimed Yu, hugging his tiny niece. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you…"

"It's okay, Big Bro!" replied Nanako, hugging him. "Daddy and I have Personas now… so we can help you fight."

"Dojima-san… you have a Persona now?!" exclaimed Yosuke.

"Yep. So now I kinda know what you all were going through before," said Dojima.

"That's astounding! I've never encountered so many adults with the Potential," said Mitsuru. "If you don't mind, once this is all taken care of, I'd like to run some tests-."

"Can't this wait, Mitsuru?" asked Akihiko. "We still have an UnSub to catch and very little time to do it."

"Um… whose that guy?" asked Rise, suddenly.

"Oh… everyone, this is Fionn Calder, a flight attendant with Ryze International He uh… has a Persona, and he got sucked in here too," said Garcia.

"Hi," said Fionn, bowing to the others. "I'll try to help as best as I can."

"There's something else, too, though," said J.J.

"Right," said Hotch. "While we were inside, we encountered a new level of Shadows. The so-called Hells we've been to so far may have a secondary enemy hidden within it, and a way for our Personas to… I guess evolve?"

"That makes sense," said Yu. "I remember watching the rest of the Investigation Teams' Personas evolve throughout the year."

"Yes, much like ours did after Shinjiro-senpai's death," said Fuuka.

"Garcia already got hers. Show 'em, baby doll," said Morgan.

"Stand back!" Garcia exclaimed. With a flourish, she shot herself in the head with the Evoker and brought out Nike. The others gasped.

"She's like Penthesilea…" Mitsuru muttered. "Can be used in combat… or support…"

"But she's much heavier support," said Rise. "Still… that's amazing, Garcia-san!"

"You should have seen her inside!" Prentiss said. "When we were about to get overrun, she used this thing… uh… Meggy… uh…"

"Meggi-Dalaran?" said J.J., frowning.

"Megidolaon," Hotch said. "Thank you again, Garcia, for your help back there."

"My pleasure, Hotch," said Garcia. "Anyway… before we get sidetracked again… let's tell them what we decided to do."

"Oh, right!" Hotch said. "Well… as it stands, we're going to re-explore our Hells to see if we cannot unlock more of our Persona's power. Now that six of us can enter a dungeon at a time, I think it would be in our best interest to explore."

"That sounds good to me," said Yu. "What should the rest of us do?"

"Actually… I'm curious about the remainder of the world. The shimmering mist-like stuff from above us seems to be more and more dense every day, not to mention the lose wires and such laying around," said Reid. "What about we send out another exploration team or two to look around?"

"I know you probably don't like the sound of this idea… but… what about splitting the BAU up, too? We could cover more of your dungeons more quickly…" Mitsuru suggested.

"No," said Hotch, firmly. "After what happened over the past two days, I refuse to allow my team to be split up again."

"I can't blame you for that," Chie said. "Anytime one of our friends went missing… it was bad."

"In the meantime, what would you have us do?" asked Dojima.

"I'm going to put Sanada in charge," said Hotch. "Split up amongst yourselves, look for other Hells, and see what you can come up with. Be careful, though, we don't know exactly what could be out there. When we're done, we'll have Nike and Garcia send you a message."

"I can actually keep track of all of you, I think," said Garcia. "Rise, Teddie, Mitsuru, and Fuuka, if you don't mind, please bring out your Personas and I'll synch up with them…"

While Garcia took care of that, the remaining BAU members spoke with the others about the path they would take. From their current position, the closest would be J.J.'s hell, followed by Prentiss, Reid, Morgan, and finally Hotch. Once Garcia had finished her duties in fixing the other support Personas, she rejoined them, and they split from the other explorers.

J.J.'s hell was even creepier than she'd made it sound like. As they walked through the dense forest, tiny cries for help whispered in their minds. J.J. led them through a heavily-pockmarked path, while Garcia hovered above them, Nike scanning the area. They finally arrived at a clearing with the personal effects of a young girl strewn about.

"This is where I fought my sister…" said J.J., shuddering. "It was awful…"

"I can't imagine what it's like to fight a family member…" Prentiss muttered. "You, Reid, and Hotch are all so strong."

"It's chilling… the Shadows, even though you know they're not who they're pretending to be… they make you feel like you really are trying to kill that person," said Reid. "And they get inside your mind."

"Can you sense anything, Garcia?" asked Hotch.

"Yes… J.J., did your sister have a locket or something?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah… let me look…" said J.J.

Hotch and the rest of the BAU members assisted J.J. in digging through the strewn items. Hotch felt even more uneasy about digging through the torn pictures and dirt-covered clothing, but thankfully Morgan located the locket only a couple minutes into the search.

"Okay… what do I do with it now that I have it?" asked J.J.

"Open it," said Garcia, simply. "But be careful."

As soon as J.J. opened the locket, she cried out in surprise and dropped it. A stream of Shadow energy erupted from it, billowing high into the sky before collapsing back in on itself. Stepping out of the cloud of darkness came two people that made gasps of shock erupt from the entire BAU. It was her husband, William LaMontagne and their young son, Henry.

"… No way…" squeaked Garcia.

"Mommy..." Henry said, his voice echoing with the Shadow's influence. "Why… why aren't you ever home with me…?"

"Oh… honey…" J.J. said, her eyes already glistening.

"J.J…. you know he's a Shadow… they both are…" Hotch said, quietly placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I know…" J.J. said. "Let's… let's just get this over with."

She was the first to pull the trigger, and Frigga immediately fired a blast of wind at the Shadows. Shadow Will was hit, grunting with the impact, but Henry seemed to absorb it. The others quickly summoned their Personas as Shadow Will began to let out a low laughter.

"After… after everything I sacrificed… you repay me like this…?" he said.

"We made that decision together," said J.J. "If you knew anything about me, you'd know that was the truth."

"You want it both ways… you want your career and your family… so we give and give and give, and what thanks do we get? We get left behind in the worst storms of the century so you can traipse about the world with your dear co-workers," Will taunted, as both he and Henry began to rise off the ground, hovering above their heads.

"You promised you'd play with me today!" said Henry. "You said you would-!"

"Analyzing… Henry absorbs all elemental attacks. Will is weak to wind, but he can increase his own resistance to it. I'll let you know more as I figure it out," Garcia said.

"Everyone… open fire!" Hotch said.

The BAU members didn't need telling twice before they were locked in the furious brawl. True to Garcia's word, Shadow Will used that strange semi-circle shield, green-colored, and J.J.'s attacks stopped working entirely. Meanwhile, Henry became a sort of human shield for his father, absorbing any and all elemental attacks for his father. When Ares tried to cleave into Will, they got a shock when Shadow Will seemingly effortlessly picked up Odin and hurtled him across the clearing, slamming him into a tree.

"Will can counter physical attacks… they're perfectly complimentary for each other," said Garcia.

"I think we need to get rid of Henry first," said Hotch. "Prentiss, focus on weakening him. The rest of us will keep Will busy."

"Understood. Let's do this, Apate!" roared Prentiss.

As Odin, Ares, and even Thoth and Frigga engaged Will, Apate focused her status-debilitating attacks only onto the young child floating around. Henry responded by laying down a flurry of Magarula attacks, the wind ripping into the group. Ares, yet again, was hurtled away from the melee, which forced Thoth to break off to heal. Hotch immediately responded by having Odin hurtle his spear at the young child, knocking him from the ground and onto the ground.

"Now, Hotch!" Garcia cried. "Do that scary attack thing you do!"

With a roar, Odin leapt high into the sky and brought his spear directly down into the young boy's Shadow. With a horrified scream that made J.J. cringe, he disappeared into Shadow orbs again. Almost immediately, another furious roar erupted in the clearing. Will was surrounded by a burst of multi-colored lights, as well as a blast of second yellow light which let out a shockwave of air that pushed everything not tied down in the clearing back into the tree line.

"I don't believe it… all of his stats have been increased," said Garcia. "And everyone's…. well… I know this sounds weird to say it like this but… your critical hit rates have skyrocketed. Be careful."

Will didn't wait for them before he let out another roar. Moving at speeds they'd not yet encountered from a Persona, he shot through the sky, delivering a devastating flurry of blows to each of the Personas. Hotch groaned in pain as Odin was hit particularly hard, hurtled a few feet back. He glanced over and saw the same thing had happened to Prentiss. With Reid already on healing duty, they recovered quickly. And then J.J. surprised everyone by sending Frigga right into Will's arms, planting a kiss on his cheek. A yellow orb of light surrounded him before quickly shattering, making Will scream in frustration.

"Nice Dekaja, J.J.," said Garcia. "His stats are returned to normal."

"I told you I wouldn't forget," said J.J., grinning. "Let's go, guys!"

The battle got a lot easier at that point, with a flurry of elemental spells striking Will. Occasionally he was able to fight them back, but when Garcia exclaimed that his wind resistance was gone, J.J. wasted no time in delivering a devastating Garula spell directly into his face. Will fell to the ground, and one massive attack later, he, too, began to fade away.

"Are you all okay?" asked J.J.

"Looks like we're all okay, all things considered," said Morgan. "But… are you okay?"

"Oh… all that…? Yeah, I'm fine," said J.J. "It's… like we said earlier. Fighting family is awful… but this isn't really them. So… I got through it. And I'm stronger for it. When I get home, I'll make sure they both understand why I do what I do… even if it was my own psyche who brought that up."

The locket stirred and floated upwards, turning to J.J. It opened again, and this time a bright light encircled the blonde woman. As it rose above her, a new Persona rose out of the light. Her hair was long and wavy, floating serenely behind her, as a kind smile stayed on her face. Large butterfly wings supported her, flapping ever-so-occasionally, all while a flowing white robe whirled around her. The Persona hovered for a few moments before fading back into nothingness.

"Everyone… meet Angerona," said J.J.

"She's beautiful," said Prentiss. "I'm pretty jealous actually."

"Well, let's get a move on and get you yours then, Prentiss," said Morgan.

"So… what exactly does Angerona stand for?" asked Garcia.

"There's a lot of debate about what exactly she stood for," said Reid. "She has been attributed to being a goddess of protection, as well as the one who kept the secret name of Rome from enemies… one who relieved pain or sorrow… and the list goes on from there."

"Well, J.J. has juggled many, many jobs for the BAU in her years of service," said Hotch. "That's very fitting."

"How are you all feeling? Do you need a full healing?" asked Garcia.

"Actually… I feel really good after that battle," said Hotch.

"Yes, I've noted a definitely lack in fatigue levels ever since Garcia's Hell," said Reid. "I wonder if it has something to do with her new Persona?"

"Probably… Nike is pretty boss," said Morgan, grinning. "Any ideas babygirl?"

"None at the moment, but I'll see if she can tell me anything while we go on our way," Garcia said. "Oh, and the other three groups are still wandering around. Sanada and his group are in the weird carnival place we saw earlier, and the others are still exploring further out."

It took slightly longer to walk to Prentiss's dungeon than it had to get to J.J.'s, and the terrain was becoming more hazardous with broken wires (some of which were still live with whatever energy was flowing through them). All too soon they were back at the large cathedral-like building, entering back inside.

"I think it's… actually scarier without any noise," said Garcia, as their footsteps echoed off the otherwise silent walls.

"Yeah… but at least we're not choking on that poisoned incense," said Morgan. "I'll take creepy over that any day."

Once they'd descended to the place they'd fought Silvano, Garcia scanned the area again. The altar near the far side of the wall awaited Prentiss, and she walked over, searching through several small items… until she picked up a necklace that everyone recognized.

"That's it, Em…" said Garcia.

"Isn't that… the necklace that Doyle gave you when you were 'Lauren,'?" asked Reid.

"Yep," said Prentiss. "I think I see what's about to happen. Stand back, everyone…"

She set the necklace in the center of the altar and took a few steps back. Sure enough, Shadow energy began to pour from the jewelry, snuffing out the candles on the altar. As the fog came forward, the figure of Ian Doyle emerged, clapping slowly and sarcastically for them as he walked down the steps towards them.

"Very good… Lauren," said Doyle. "So… what lies are you hiding from me now? And what about the rest of your friends?"

"We all have our secrets, Doyle," said Prentiss. "Some more than others, yes, but there's things nobody else needs to know."

"Though this may be true… what if the secret could get someone killed? Would you then keep it hidden away from those? Oh… I'm sorry… you already did that once, didn't you? And how did that work out for you?" Doyle asked.

"Hey, J.J.," said Prentiss, suddenly. "Ready to see what that new Persona of yours can do?"

J.J. grinned. "Ready when you are."

Twin shots rang out as Apate and Angerona burst forth from the women. Doyle smirked and surrounded himself with dark energy again, flying into the air to match the height of the other two Personas. Behind them, the other BAU members summoned their Personas as Garcia began to give them a rundown of their enemy.

"Okay… he's a bit harder to see, but I know Nike can crack him. No particular weaknesses to speak of, but he's adaptable. And his power is strong. I'm not entirely sure what he's capable of, so watch yourself until I get a better reading," said Garcia. "As for you, J.J…. it looks like Angerona is just Frigga on steroids, basically. Good luck!"

Hotch didn't even need to say anything at this point. Prentiss was smart enough to not try and attack with her element before Garcia finished her analyses, so she immediately began to channel her usual debilitation magic into Shadow Doyle. J.J., meanwhile, fired up a defense-boosting attack, but everyone was momentarily surprised when the first cast of that spell sent a flash of purple light around every Persona on the field.

"Ah… so it hits everyone at once now. That's useful," said J.J.

"Very well… let us begin!" roared Doyle.

He soared higher and higher and began to fire at Apate. Thanks to her weakening him, the bursts of fire and electricity mostly missed, and the ones that did hit were augmented by J.J. strengthening her defenses. Odin and Ares sent their own rain of fire and electricity back at the man, while Thoth hurtled through and hit the Shadow with his books. Finally, after a particularly nasty smack to the face from Thoth, Doyle let out another ferocious roar and was surrounded by a blue-ish orb, which burst.

"Doyle's stats have returned to normal… it looks like he can counter debuffs," said Garcia. "And… he is capable of using every element!"

"And now… it's time for you to die!" Doyle screamed.

The black glyph and the dark flames surrounded Thoth, and before anyone had a chance to react, they exploded with dark energy and Reid fell to the ground with a cry of pain. Shadow Doyle cackled and immediately followed up by firing a blast of fire at Odin, which Hotch was narrowly able to dodge.

"Reid's down! J.J., can you revive him?" asked Garcia.

"Yeah… I think so. Come forth, Angerona!" J.J. said.

At least one massive improvement to J.J.'s Persona arsenal was the beautiful white light that surrounded Reid, allowing him to rise and summon Thoth again. He stretched and tested his movement and limbs, stating that he felt like he was in perfect health. Meanwhile, Shadow Doyle continued to hammer on Odin, now pelting him with increasingly large shards of ice, which Odin could hardly dodge. He was finally struck with a massive blast, which sent Hotch reeling, his vision cloudy.

"This is… insane…" Garcia muttered, starting to sound worried. "Hotch is hurt… you got him, J.J.?"

"Yeah…" said J.J., though she was already starting to sound tired. "We need to figure something out because… I'm not sure how much longer I can keep this up."

"I think he's targeting your weaknesses…" Garcia said. "Of course… try to knock him off balance and if he targets you, run!"

Morgan was his newest target, with wave after wave of ice and wind attacks aiming for Ares. Luckily, once Morgan focused solely on dodging, he became incredibly hard to hit. This gave the others the chance to focus on doing little bits of damage to Doyle, until J.J. and Angerona finally let loose with an absolutely massive blast of wind that drilled him directly into the wall, actually denting and cracking it.

"Holy shit…" muttered Morgan.

"That was pretty powerful, J.J.," said Hotch. "Nice shot."

"Thanks… I think she must have some sort of power-amping ability," said J.J.

"Heheh… you think you've gotten me with just one blast of wind…?" Doyle said. "You forget… I can see inside you… I know your secrets… and your weaknesses."

"And that's what you don't seem to understand, Doyle," said Prentiss, quickly renewing an onslaught of debuffs. "Weaknesses can be conquered; just because you know what it is doesn't automatically mean you'll win!"

Apate leapt up to the wall where Doyle was waiting. He grunted as she dug her claws into him, spinning him around and shrieking wildly into his ear. She jumped backwards and fired a rapid fire of ice pellets into the Shadow, which knocked him back against the wall. Before Garcia or Hotch could give them the word, everyone else sent their Personas spiraling into the enemy with their strongest attacks. In his weakened, panicked state, Shadow Doyle fell to the ground at Apate's feet. With a sneer, the Persona raised her foot and stepped on his head, dissipating the Shadow entirely.

"Another battle won… good job!" exclaimed Garcia.

"Thanks for the help. I'd say we're getting better at this," said Prentiss. "Besides… it's not like you aren't all aware of my having secrets. You could say that's kind of my thing… guarding my 'deep, dark' secrets."

From the altar, the flash of white light blasted outward, covering Prentiss. As the light began to fade, they saw the body of the Persona: a crouching lion-like beast with a massive set of wings, which flapped lazily to keep the Persona aloft. The face had no mouth, and its eyes were empty of any emotion, yet it still held a certain beauty to it. Prentiss smiled to herself and held her hand to her heart as the Persona faded from sight.

"Sphinx says hello… she just can't say anything out loud," said Prentiss.

"Wow…" Garcia said. "She was beautiful, too!"

"I can't wait to use her in battle… it'll probably be easier now," said Prentiss.

"In a way… though I admit I'm a little more tired than I was last time," said J.J.

"Reid, are you okay?" Hotch asked.

"I feel fine, actually. I mean… a little sore, but no worse for the wear. J.J., that spell was perfect," said Reid.

"Angerona said it was called Samerecarm. Looks like I can revive you all now," replied J.J.

"Well, while we got the momentum going… let's move on to Wonder Boy's Hell, eh?" said Morgan, clapping Reid on the back.

"Yes, I think that would be wise, so long as nobody is hurt," said Hotch. "We're actually making really good time. Garcia, anything to report on the others?"

"Nothing new. The Carnival group did encounter quite a few Shadows, but nothing our size. The group with Fionn said they were exploring an airport-like Hell, but detected nothing big. The others have found some deserted hells grouped pretty close together, but no sign of life… or Shadows," said Garcia.

"Once we're finished in Morgan's dungeon, we should tell them to start moving back to the BAU Hell," said Hotch. "For now… let's head to the Asylum."

Reid hurried them into the halls of his Hell, finding the site of the battle with Diana with virtually no trouble. After a couple of minutes of searching, Garcia quietly informed them to check the medical cabinets that lined the room. After a few minutes of searching proved fruitless for everyone else, Reid took over, scanning the medication capsules they'd collected very carefully… until he found a small vial. Reid's face paled.

"Dilaudid… is this it, Garcia?" he asked.

"Yes… that's where Nike's seeing the darkness," said Garcia. "Be careful, Reid…"

Reid slowly unscrewed the cap and blackness immediately began to spill out. As Reid moved back to stand with the others, a solitary figure emerged from the cloud of Shadow energy. Reid sighed and Hotch was surprised to see a note of grim understanding on his face. The other BAU members stood taller and Hotch could actually feel the restrained anger pulsating from them. The Shadow looked at them, wide-eyed, fearful, and his features twitching.

"It's… it's you…" he muttered.

"Yeah. It's me," said Reid. "Am I speaking to Tobias Hankel at the moment?"

"Y-yes… I just… I…" began the Shadow. "_Kill him, boy, don't make me tell you again!_ But I don't… want to…! _GOD'S JUSTICE MUST BE DONE!"_

"Oh good… Raphael and Charles are here, too," said Reid. "Look, I don't want to have to hurt you again, so… please…"

"_Oh sure you do, don't act like you don't! You remember the hell we put you through!_" snarled the Shadow. "_Or do we need to remind you…? I'm sure Raphael would be happy to oblige…_"

"Raphael has no control over you… he is a false voice you created in your head due to your trauma," Reid said. "I will not let you submit to him. I want to speak to Tobias."

"_TOOL OF SATAN, YOU WILL NOT POISON ONE OF GOD'S CHILDREN WITH YOUR VILE LIES! LET JUDGEMENT RAIN DOWN UPON YOU!" _roared the Shadow.

"Reid… it's no use. We have to fight him," said Hotch. "Raphael and Charles won't listen, and Tobias isn't in control enough."

"I know… I was hoping to use Garcia's tactics. I guess it won't do us any good now," said Reid. "Very well, Raphael… you leave me no choice. Go, THOTH!"

As the Persona burst outward, the others fired their evokers, causing Raphael to begin ranting about false idols and those who would be crushed by the One True God. Garcia did her best to shout over his ranting, letting them know that the Shadow blocked Dark and Light attacks, as well as having a strength to most physical attacks and fire.

"Guess that means I'll have to take care of it… let's go, Sphinx!" shouted Prentiss.

The beast flew high into the air, charging a huge blast of ice, which slammed down and shattered into the Persona, bringing with it a scream of pain. However, the Shadow's scream changed to a mad cackle as it waved its hand and produced a sword of dark energy. His other hand waved over the Shadow, surrounding it with healing light.

"Okay… he can heal too… so we'll have to burn him fast if we want to take him down. Still scanning for a weakness, though none seems available," Garcia said.

Thoth threw a book at him and Raphael blocked it, cutting it with the sword. He dove at Thoth, taking a massive swipe with the blade, but he was intercepted by Ares, who blocked it and countered with his own blade. Raphael laughed maniacally again, even as Sphinx swooped by him, firing strong blasts of debilitating magic into the Shadow. Meanwhile, Angerona worked on buffing the other Personas' defenses, while Odin took pot shots at the Shadow with bolts of electricity.

"_AND FIGHT STRONG THOUGH YOU MAY YOU WILL SOON SEE THAT—_stop! I don't want to do this! They haven't done anything wrong!" the Shadow shouted, his voice changing abruptly.

"Hold your attacks!" Garcia suddenly shouted. "His stats have changed… I need to re-scan him now!"

Hotch called Odin back to him, as all the other Personas backed off. J.J. and Reid took a moment to spot heal Ares and Odin, while Sphinx hovered in front of them, guarding the others. The Shadow still seemed to struggle with itself, having a one-sided argument with what appeared to be his father, before another ear-piercing scream and a wave of unseen energy rushed over them. Hotch suddenly felt confused, unsure of where he was. Above him, Odin and the other Personas flashed a few times, as if about to disappear.

"No… you're panicking! Snap out of it; the Shadow's going to attack!" Garcia shouted.

"I… I know…" Prentiss said. "H-hold on…"

Sphinx turned back to them, flapping her wings and bathing them all in light as she did so. Hotch felt his mind clear immediately, and he stood back to his full height, watching the others climb to their feet. Behind them, Garcia let out a whoop of excitement.

"Thanks for that, Emily!" Garcia said. "Everyone's fine… and guess what? Shadow is currently weak to Light! Use that while you can!"

"I'm on it!" Reid said, hurrying in.

"No… you can't… _I am your father and you will do as I say!_" roared the Shadow.

He was immediately surrounded by the more translucent blue orb, which faded almost as quickly as it came. Garcia gasped in horror and called off Reid, saying that not only had the Shadow's abilities changed again, but the shell he had created reflected all magic attacks. Hotch sighed, readying Odin to throw his spear.

"Wait… let me try something. Angerona, Garudyne!" said J.J.

They watched as her Persona fired the huge blast of air outward again. It hit just in front of the Shadow, and with the sound of glass shattering it flew backwards and struck the Persona. The others gasped, but Angerona emerged immediately after the blades of air disappeared, completely unharmed.

"Good guess, J.J. Angerona absorbs wind. So whenever you see that shield, sap it down so the others can attack. This version of the Shadow is strong against physical, blocks light and dark… but seems to shift his random element of weakness. Let him have it!" Garcia exclaimed, quickly.

The BAU didn't need telling twice. Powerful blasts of ice and wind struck at the Shadow, all while Odin and Ares gave off weaker blasts of electricity and fire, respectively. The Shadow grunted in pain with each impact, and it looked like the battle had turned to their favor. When the shield went back up, Angerona immediately blasted it down, and the onslaught returned.

"_I… I cannot… my Lord! Aid me! I am weak and need your help! Hear my prayers!_" cried the Shadow, followed quickly by the louder voice. "_THE LORD HATH HEARD YOUR PRAYERS… HE REWARDS HIS FOLLOWERS… I SHALL BE YOUR HELP!"_

The Shadow immediately surrounded itself in a healing light again and Garcia's frustrated instructions told them it had reverted to its first form, weak only to certain physical attacks and strong or blocking everything else. They only caught a lucky break when a frustrated Hotch had Odin hurtle his spear at the Shadow, striking him in the arm and making him drop his dark sword.

"Hotch found his weakness! It seems Piercing attacks are his weakness! Get him!" cried Garcia, excitedly.

"_YOU, BOY, AID ME!_" roared the Shadow. "N-no, I don't want to!"

"Hold… wait, use Light!" cried Garcia. "Before he can stop you!"

The Shadow let out another wail, but only Morgan, Prentiss, and J.J. seemed to be affected by it. Reid and Hotch ran forward, striking at the Persona. Thoth actually got close enough that the two began to wrestle over control of Thoth's ankh.

"You know the truth…" the Shadow muttered. "This… this is your future…"

"What, hearing three voices in my head?" asked Reid. "I'm not going to let that happen."

"And yet it… it's easier, isn't it? For someone else to make those decisions…"

"Until you don't agree with them!" cried Reid. "Like you! I pity you, Tobias, but I will never end up like you! I'll fight it as long as I need to… and you… need to die…"

Suddenly, Thoth's ankh glowed a bright yellowish color and the Shadow let go of it with a cry. Thoth followed it up by performing his ritualistic dance, summoning a solitary yellow card, which fastened itself to the Shadow, exploding in a brilliant flash. With a high-pitched scream, the Shadow fell to its knees, only to get back up a few moments afterwards.

"_You son of a bitch… I'll kill you for that! I'll send you all to Hell!"_ roared the Shadow.

"Hankel's turn… get him, Hotch!" Garcia shouted.

"On it…!" Hotch called, as Odin let loose a roar of thunder, as Thoth fell back.

"_Heheheh… my boy was weak… I will not falter!_" he roared.

The blue orbs came back and Hotch swore under his breath. With Angerona and Sphinx still out for the count and panicked, Hotch sent Odin in and the rebounded lightning was nullified by the Persona. Unfortunately, the Shadow took that opportunity to lash out and strike Thoth hard, picking up and hurtling him across the room into Diana's discarded bed. Reid was thrown from his feet, hitting a table in the process.

"_AND NOW, LET THEE BE CAST INTO THE FIERY LAKE OF HELL!_" roared the Shadow.

Garcia had barely warned Hotch that Raphael was back when Odin's spear pierced the side of the Shadow. Hotch kept Odin right up front, and he and the Shadow fought furiously for a few moments while Hotch kept an eye on the others. Reid had struggled to his feet and was in the process of healing himself. Ares had also rejoined the conflict, providing a good distraction for the Shadow, but it wasn't until Sphinx and finally Angerona reappeared that things finally got a lot better.

"Keep on him, guys!" Garcia shouted, after Hankel had been switched to again. "Blast him with fire!"

The ball of fire from Ares at point blank range knocked Hankel so far out of it that he couldn't recover, and Odin's spear plunging through his chest left only the heavily wounded Raphael. Thoth, again, hurtled every book he had at the angel, and, though it didn't do a lot of damage, Reid did let slip a comment about how therapeutic it was before allowing Odin to run the Shadow through a final time, finally dissipating the threat entirely.

"Are you all okay?" asked Reid. "I didn't expect that to be so… annoying."

"Well it did come from your mind… no one ever expected it to be easy," said Morgan, playfully patting Reid on the back.

"I see what J.J. means about using these new Personas…" Prentiss said, as she and J.J. continued to breathe heavily, sweat pouring from their faces. "And we were even out of commission for part of the battle."

"So… what's your new Persona gonna be?" asked Morgan.

"Well… here goes," said Reid, walking to where the discarded bottle was. Like everything before it, the bright light surrounded him, and, from above, Reid's new Persona was born from the light. An angelic man with a long staff with a point at the end looked down around him. He was covered entirely by scrolls in hundreds of different languages, and a cloak with a large cross on it hung from his back. The Persona faded from sight, and a look of wide-eyed shock remained on Reid's face.

"So… that was… Raphael," said Reid. "That's my new Persona…"

"Hopefully he's less of a dick than the other one," said Morgan.

"Yeah... but hey, at least we're more than halfway done now!" Prentiss said. "And I'm tired, but I can still fight… so… shall we move on?"

"To Morgan's then. Garcia, let the others know what we're doing," said Hotch.

"Rodger. Nothing new to report on my end," said Garcia.

In Morgan's Hell, the smell of mildew was even stronger than it had been during their first visit. They walked cautiously through the gross locker room, until they arrived at the place where they'd fought Carl. Garcia scanned the area and was puzzled about finding a stack of papers in a drawer. Morgan opened the files and began to page through them.

"That's… the case from Jacksonville. Blake Wells… the one who dumped bodies in the sea," said Prentiss. "Pictures of the scene of the crime… our investigation… pictures of the victims…"

"Hold on… who is this?" asked Reid, picking up the picture of a beautiful young black girl. "I don't recognize her."

"That's… my cousin, Cindi," said Morgan. "… Garcia, is that… the source?"

"Y-yes… it is…" said Garcia. "The Shadow waits there."

Morgan sighed and picked up the picture, setting it on the floor. He'd no sooner walked away from it when the Shadow emerged from the fog of darkness. It was indeed the young woman from the picture: Morgan's cousin Cindi. She glared at everyone before turning to Morgan.

"Why did you lie to my Mom?" she demanded.

Morgan grimaced. "It was for her own good."

"Yeah? For her peace of mind, huh? And what happens when she finds out the truth? It'll kill her," said Cindi.

"What's she talking about?" asked Reid.

"I…" Morgan began. "It had to do with that case we worked in Jacksonville. I told my aunt that her daughter… my cousin here… was one of the victims."

"Yeah. Which is a lie. There's no evidence for it and you know it," said Cindi. "It's just like you, Morgan, the easiest way will do, huh? All brawn and little brains…"

"That's not how Morgan is it all!" Garcia exclaimed suddenly. "He's kind and gentle and sexy and—."

"And he's a liar, a hypocrite, and a coward," said Cindi. "And he knows it."

"Even still…" said Hotch. "Even if there are parts of him that are like that… they aren't what defines him. And he doesn't let that control him."

"It's okay guys, I got this," said Morgan. "She's right. I have done it the easy way at times. Excessive force, occasionally bending the laws… and I admit that. I accept that. I don't need you to remind me. I know you're not the real Cindi. And I have no problem sending _you_ back to where you came from, just like I did Carl Buford."

As he finished speaking, he spun his Evoker around his finger and pulled the trigger. Ares burst out of the shattered glass-like objects spiraling above his head, driving his sword directly forward into the Shadow. The girl gasped in shock, but reacted by blasting the Persona back with a quick burst of wind magic. The others summoned their Personas, but, halfway through, Morgan stopped them.

"Let me do this alone," he said. "I'll show her… I'm not taking the easy way out."

"Morgan, that's foolish and a waste of time," said Hotch. "Let us help you."

"Please, Hotch… I need to do this," said Morgan. "If I'm not done in five minutes, you can step in. Deal?"

"… fine. But if you get into trouble, we _will_ step in," said Hotch.

Morgan grinned. "Got it. Let's go, Ares!"

"Um… I know you don't want to know, but she's strong against Wind, Ice, and Dark attacks… and she is weak to fire but utilizes the Red Wall spell so she'll be free of that soon…" said Garcia. "Just be careful, Morgan, she's hiding some sort of power…"

"Thanks, baby girl, but I got this," said Morgan.

The Shadow and Morgan were both seemingly evenly matched. True to Garcia's word, the Shadow surrounded herself in the half-circle of red, which blocked Ares' fire attacks to some degree. Morgan, meanwhile, took the time to power up his attack, and his Persona soared around the room with the Shadow. They hurtled each other into the edges of the room, destroying lockers, benches, and even a shower that swiftly began to flood part of the room. After two minutes of wonton destruction, the Shadow finally changed tactics.

"Your weaknesses are baffling…" said his cousin. "And yet… I know another weakness… you'll do anything to protect the ones you care about… so… choose… your life… or theirs…"

She turned abruptly to the BAU and charged up another blast of wind. Morgan gasped and threw Ares in front of them, and the Persona took the strong bolt of wind directly to the chest, slamming him (and Morgan) backwards again. He groaned and climbed to his feet, yelling at Reid and J.J., both of whom were about to pull the triggers on their own Evokers.

"That's fighting dirty. I don't play that," said Morgan, jaw clenched in rage.

"Ah… the hypocrisy I was talking about…" said Cindi. "You claim to be so high-and-mighty, yet you've lied to UnSubs and victims to get what you need… you're no different than the crooked cops from back in Chicago…"

"That's enough," said Morgan, hurling Ares after her, despite the injuries.

"Garcia, how is Morgan's condition?" asked Hotch.

"He's… doing pretty good. That wind attack did some serious damage but… Ares has highly impressive endurance. Do you think we should step in?" asked Garcia.

"He said no… so… let's hang back a few more minutes," said Hotch.

He almost immediately regretted the decision, because the battle went back to its stalemate of Cindi taunting Morgan in between trying to take surprise shots at the BAU members and their Personas, all while Morgan countered her attacks and tried to blast through her walls when they faded. Finally, after another vicious ice attack that dug into Ares and made Morgan fall to one knee, the others prepared to engage her… until a silver light appearing above Shadow Cindi stopped them.

"What is this?! You said you were fighting alone! Morgan you liar!" shrieked Cindi.

As she finished speaking, the column of silvery light slammed into the ground and erupted outward again. All the debris from the early fighting was hurtled against the walls of the locker room, some of which narrowly avoided hitting Morgan and the rest of the BAU. As the light cleared, there was no sign of Cindi. Hotch turned to see Garcia lowering Nike's hand, a look of set irritation on her face.

"What the hell, Garcia, I told you I had it…" said Morgan, as J.J. healed him.

"I know, but you were taking way too long. We still have to go back to Hotch's place… and I'm sorry, she may be your cousin and all but I hate that incarnation of her," said Garcia. "She said a lot of stupid, incorrect things. And I know you can't stay mad at me, so just get your Persona and let's move on."

Morgan rolled his eyes but broke into a small smile. "You're right. Thanks guys, sorry about that."

"Next time we're not waiting. We're fighting with you," said Hotch.

"Yeah… I know," said Morgan. "All right… whatcha got for me, Cindi?"

The light from Cindi's picture enveloped Morgan, and instead of Ares came a new, taller figure, armored in leather and with a wolf pelt on his back. In his hand he held a long sword, and his other hand was missing, with only a flaming stump at the end of it. A serious look surveyed all them, and Hotch noticed the Persona had even copied Morgan's facial hair. He faded from sight after giving a curt nod to everyone.

"Well? What's his name?" asked Prentiss.

"He said his name is Tyr and he'll be happy to serve alongside us," said Morgan. "Well… now that we're done her, can we please never come back?"

"Sounds good to me," said J.J. "Garcia, any word from the others?"

"Yeah… the one group exploring the other Hells may have found something," said Garcia. "It's a large building but they can't get in to it. The door won't open. But they can apparently sense some strong feelings behind it, so something's there," said Garcia. "The others are preparing to return to the Quantico Hell."

The walk back into Hotch's old neighborhood went a lot quicker than he'd wanted to. Now that it was his turn to face whatever horrors were waiting for him, Hotch suddenly felt nervous. He was sweating and he was fidgeting with the Key in his pocket. He could almost feel Igor watching him, peering closely over his gargantuan nose. The other members of the BAU fell silent as they approached Hotch's old house. He realized that, except for Garcia, the last time they'd been in this area was back in the real world… on the day Haley died.

They entered the house, already damaged from Hotch and Foyet's fight, and even though the space was a lot bigger than the real world house, the first thing Hotch realized that was with all the new Personas there wouldn't be enough room to fight. He told them that he would plan to lure whatever the Shadow was out of the house and outside where they could more properly attack. Garcia scanned the house with Nike and told him in hushed tones that his target was upstairs. Hotch shivered.

"Which room is it?" he asked.

"At the top of the stairs… take a left," said Garcia.

"That's… our old bedroom," said Hotch. "I… I'm afraid I know what I'm going to find."

"Hotch…" said J.J., putting her arm on his shoulder. "It's… it's going to be okay. I know what it's like… so…"

"I know. I can do this, but I want to confront the Shadow on my own. Please wait for me here," said Hotch.

He walked up the stairs slowly, turning to the master bedroom's door. With a deep breath, he turned the knob and the door slowly opened. Even though he was expecting it, seeing Haley's bloody body lying on the ground next the bed still made his stomach churn. He took a couple of steps towards it, all the memories and emotions flooding back, until it was rudely interrupted by the realization that someone else was in there. He looked up and saw his son, Jack, sitting in a chair across the room.

"Why isn't Mommy getting up?" he asked, innocently.

"It… it's because… she… the bad guy got her…" said Hotch, a lump in his throat. "But I already got the bad guy so… it's… it's all taken care of."

"But…" Jack said, standing up and taking a few tentative steps towards Hotch. "You said… you said… you'd protect her… you promised…"

"I know buddy, I know…" said Hotch. "And… I… I failed…"

"You did indeed," came a cold voice.

Hotch spun around and watched in horror as Haley stood, blood still dripping from her body. The Shadow energy began to pour from her wounds, surrounding her entire body and even enveloping Jack. Hotch felt his stomach churn again and his knees became weak. The Shadow versions of his wife and son took another step towards him.

"This is your fault… my death… it's all on you," said Haley. "If it weren't for you… I'd be alive and Jack would still have his parents…"

"Why's Mommy gotta go away…? She always was with me… she always played with me…" Jack said. "You never did… and you still don't… not as much…"

"I… I…" Hotch began, stepping back against the wall.

"Face it, Aaron. You ruined us… Jack's never going to be the same… and I'll never get to see him or my friends or family again… and it's entirely YOUR FAULT!" Haley screamed at him.

She raised her hand as if to slap him, and a massive fireball suddenly tore through the room. Hotch fell to his knees, covering his head, and looked up to see most of the master bedroom in tatters. The door had been blown in, and both Jack and Haley had been thrown against the far wall, which had partially blown out from the impact of the fireball. In the doorway stood Morgan's new Persona, Tyr, and behind him stood Morgan himself, flanked by Reid and J.J.

"I… I'm sorry, I just…" said Hotch.

"Don't worry… I had a feeling that would happen," said Morgan. "Let's go. We have to defeat them and we can't all fight in this little house."

"You're right…" said Hotch, glancing back to where Haley and Jack were pulling themselves out of the rubble of the room. "Let's go."

They raced downstairs and joined Garcia and Prentiss, who were both already stationed outside and waiting. It only took one other furious scream before Haley and Jack burst right out the side of the house, flying around the BAU members and their Personas. She stopped in the middle of the street, staring at the group. Jack floated next to her.

"Morgan…" said Hotch, suddenly. "If… if something happens and I turn on you all… take me out. Do you understand?"

"What are you talking about, Hotch?" asked Morgan. "I can't do that!"

"Fine, make someone else do it, then. I don't want them to make me hurt you… but I don't know what they're capable of. Garcia, did you hear me?" said Hotch, sternly.

"I-I did, Hotch… I just hope it doesn't come to that…" Garcia muttered. "Anyway… they're capable of a wide range of attacks and their weaknesses… Jack is weak to Ice and strong against Electricity. Haley isn't weak to any elements and blocks Light and Dark. Also… they've got some sort of power I can't place. Whenever you're ready…"

With Tyr joining the ranks of the evolved Personas, the battle began to turn in the favor of the BAU very quickly. Now that Tyr, Angerona, and Raphael were able to buff the entire party, their defense and attack powers were quickly bolstered. With Sphinx, Prentiss was able to debilitate both Shadows at once. Meanwhile, Jack buffed him and his mother while the later let off wave after wave of multi-targeting attacks.

"She's strong… heh… to be expected of Hotch's wife, though," said Prentiss.

"Yes, she was amazing," said Hotch, sending Odin in to fire electricity at the Shadow. "It hurts to fight them almost…"

"You couldn't protect me then… and now you destroy me… Aaron, what is wrong with you?" shrieked Shadow Haley.

"Don't listen to her, Hotch, she's just trying to get inside your head!" said Morgan, hotly.

"I know… keep fighting!" Hotch ordered.

Jack, to his surprise, fired the dark glyph spell at Raphael… but he merely slammed it backward with his staff, hitting Jack instead. Haley, at the last moment, jumped in front of it, where she was promptly hit directly by a combined fire and ice blast from Tyr and Sphinx. She let out a scream of anguish while Jack cried out in surprise and fear.

"Aaron!" she cried. "Help me!"

Hotch gasped and fell to his knees, his head spinning. He began to see double, and everything turned a strange shade of red. Panicked screams from Garcia echoed faintly in his head, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. Instead, he began to have memories of his time with Haley and Jack flashing through his mind: family vacations, bedtime stories, and intimate dinner conversations with Haley. Hotch's mind was foggy, but he felt himself aiming directly for the Sphinx, as Odin fired a bolt of electricity at him.

"Stop them! They're hurting Jack!" wailed Haley, above the din of memories.

Hotch turned Odin on Tyr and Raphael, both of whom were hammering at Jack. Odin blocked them both, blasting Raphael backwards with a powerful swipe with his spear. He locked weapons with Tyr, and the evolved Persona proved slightly stronger, barely knocking Odin back but giving Jack plenty of time to recuperate and evade. Hotch was vaguely aware that he was standing facing the other BAU members, each of whom looked furious. He turned to his left and saw a grin on the face of his wife.

"We always did make a great team… back then…" said Haley. "Wouldn't it be nice if we could go back to that, Aaron…?"

"It would…" Hotch said, thickly. "It… it really would… but… it can't…"

"What…?" asked Haley, her smile beginning to fade.

"M-Morgan..." choked out Hotch. "D… do it… Garcia… order him…"

Vague sounds of protest echoed in his mind, but Odin let loose a fresh flurry of electric bolts, and that seemed to seal the deal. As if in slow motion, Hotch watched as a massive fireball and a bolt of ice hurtled towards his Persona, striking him directly in the chest. The red vision in Hotch's eyes grew darker and he slowly sank into the abyss directly in front of him.

"It has been a while… relatively speaking… since we last saw you," came the slow, calm voice Hotch was familiar with. "How are you?"

The Velvet Room shook slightly this time, as if caught in turbulence. Hotch shook his head to clear it, still feeling the aches and pains from the battle in his head. On the table in front of him, he saw the cards from Igor's reading, from back when they first got their Personas. The other five cards were still glowing, but his own, that of the Emperor, was darkened.

"How are they doing?" asked Hotch.

"So long as the cards give off light, they are awake and fighting with their awakened powers," said Igor. "They fight to bring you back."

"Yeah… I had a feeling that I might get taken by them. It was like what happened before, but this time was somehow worse… I don't think I was charmed…" said Hotch, slowly.

"Correct," said Igor. "You were completely controlled in your own mind. What you did may have turned the tide of battle for you. Your Shadow could consume and control you, but it will not do that for the others."

"Right… and I know they can handle it, even if I'm not there right now," said Hotch. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay until the battle is more under control. And ask you a few questions, if I may."

"I would be delighted. I will answer that which I am capable of," said Igor.

"Thank you," said Hotch, as the Velvet Room seemed to hit a larger bump. "What is going on?"

"It appears our path through the space between dreams and reality has become bumpy," said Igor. "The storms that ravage your country are starting on our side… and this world between worlds acts as a sort of bridge to cross through them. The effects of this are causing our turbulent flight."

"So there's a correlation, as I expected," said Hotch. "We only really have tomorrow and the day after to finish this case before our time is up."

Igor chuckled. "Correct again. It's amazing… my last several guests have all been on time crunches as well, but you and your companions are the first ones to have faced such insurmountable odds. You have done admirably well already."

"We appreciate it, for sure," said Hotch. "But we need to find the UnSub. What can you tell me about the other Hells?"

"Though I can only postulate… I would assume they were created by others who had, one way or another, entered that world in which you were in," said Igor. "It stands to reason that one may belong to your Unknown Subject as well."

"That's what I was thinking, too," said Hotch. "And I believe Garcia said our analyst back in Quantico was able to come up with a solid connection which may tie our UnSub with another group of his victims. So… that means we're close."

"I cannot confirm or deny that… especially because 'close' is such a subjective term," said Igor. "What I can tell you is that you will need to unlock your power in order to defeat your enemy. Now I pose a question for you: how are you so easily able to let your friends fight for you? I know of no other guest of late who would have permitted it, or been allowed to do so as deemed by fate."

"Because I would only be a hindrance," said Hotch. "And… if there's one thing I've learned so far, the Shadows represent the parts of ourselves that we find difficult to overcome. And trying to fight it alone can cause more trouble than it's worth. We find it much easier to defeat these Shadows, if you will, with the help of our friends. And sometimes we have to take a step back and let our friends make their mark, without our interference."

Igor chuckled again. "Very wise… it has been an absolute pleasure for me to watch you all grow and adapt to your powers in such a short time. I feel as though you will soon be called back to your world, however… I will only offer one last piece of advice: use every tool you have at your disposal, no matter how insignificant, because you never know when it will come in handy."

"Thank you," said Hotch, feeling his mind starting to break apart. "Ah… there it is. I'm being revived. Thank you, Igor. Until we meet again."

"Heh… indeed, Agent Hotchner. Indeed," said Igor.

Hotch awoke on the pavement, lying at the feet of the other BAU members, who knelt next to him. They looked pretty banged up, and Garcia and J.J. looked positively exhausted. Hotch slowly sat up, aided with a healing energy wave from Raphael. He looked around and wasn't surprised to see Haley and Jack had both disappeared.

"Sorry for taking you out like that, Hotch," said Prentiss.

"No…. it was necessary. If you hadn't, I would have fought against you until one of us was dead," said Hotch. "With Haley unable to control me, things worked out better, I'm sure."

"You don't know the half of it. Actually, once you were out of the way, we made short work of Jack… er… maybe I shouldn't say it like that…" Garcia said, quickly correcting herself.

"Once he was gone, Haley lost control, much like what happened to Will," said J.J. "But she became as inaccurate as she was powerful, so she was very easy to dodge. And that's all it took, really."

"I feel like it was a cop out, not being there for the defeat… but maybe it's better this way," said Hotch. "Thank you for helping me fight my dark side."

"It's no problem at all. An honor, really," said Reid.

"I suppose I better receive what's coming to me…" said Hotch, walking over. He folded his hands and closed his eyes, muttering a quiet prayer to his wife. "Haley… wherever you are… I am sorry. I know I couldn't save you, and I don't know when I'll forgive myself for that. But I promise you, here and now, that I will be the best father I can be to Jack, no matter what that takes."

The light from their house erupted outwards, hiding Hotch. He felt his entire body radiate heat as, above him, a new figure appeared out of the light. The figure of a serious-faced man with a flowing, draped robe that hung from one shoulder rose outward. In one hand, he held a large staff with a carved eagle at the top. In the other he held a long, thin weapon shaped like a lightning bolt, pulsating with energy. A dozen more sat strapped to his back. The Persona turned its gaze back and down to Hotch, turning to face him.

_Thou hath awakened thine truest power_… said a voice in Hotch's head. _And with it… I have answered thy call. I am Jupiter, the King of the Gods… and my power is yours to wield._

"So whose that big guy?" asked Garcia.

"Jupiter..." said Hotch. "His name is Jupiter."

"Heh… and here I thought it was just a planet," said Morgan. "And before Reid gets into an explanation… let's get moving back to Quantico. Or at least… this world's version of Quantico."

"Yeah, good idea," said Garcia. "The others are almost all there already, even the group that tried to get in to that factory."

"Thank goodness…" muttered Prentiss. "I'm really starting to feel beat now…"

"If it wasn't for Garcia's Persona, I think we'd all be dead on our feet right now," said Prentiss.

"Or dead for real… she's really become a part of our fighting squad this time around," Morgan teased.

"A fiery vixen who can kill you with one glance… or blast of silvery light. Either way, fear me!" Garcia exclaimed.

As they walked back across the wire-strewn area between Hotch's Hell and Quantico Hell, Garcia and Hotch slowed their walk until they were slightly out of earshot of the others. After a few silent seconds of neither one wanting to speak, Hotch finally broke the silence.

"Before I forget to say it, let me say it again and a thousand times more: thank you, Garcia. We honestly wouldn't have been able to even start this case without you, let alone get to where we are now," said Hotch.

"It's no problem, I assure you!" Garcia exclaimed, breathlessly. "And… um… I know this is a weird time to bring it up and all, but that thing you asked me to look into the other night…? I found a few things and I might have a lead for you!"

"Really? That's amazing… but let's solve this case first and then we'll worry about that other thing," said Hotch. "For now… finding the UnSub should be our top priority. I'll need you to touch base with Kevin as soon as we're back in our world."

"I understand," said Garcia. "Let's catch up to the others before Morgan gets jealous of me talking to another man. And… besides, we have a lot of work to do and only two days to do it."

"Too right," agreed Hotch. "Make contact with the others and let them know that the BAU team will be arriving in ten minutes… with a few… 'cosmetic' changes in tow."

**Author's Note:**

Wow… did it take me forever to get this chapter out or what? I hope it was worth the wait. Only three chapters remain in Persona 6 –Mind Net-. Thank you for reading as far as you have.

I apologize if this chapter seems rushed or condensed. I didn't want to drag each Heroic dungeon back into its own chapter because I thought that would get super repetitive, as well as extending the story unnecessarily. Anyway, time for some BONUS FUN FACTS that you don't care about in relation to each Persona/Shadow/etc.

J.J. – I went back and forth on which Persona to give her for a long time (name only; all the techniques were the same). I almost gave her Freya, until I realized she was basically the same thing as Frigga, so I went with Angerona instead. Originally her boss battles were switched, too, and she would have fought her sister in Heroic mode, but I couldn't find any real information on her sister so that's why her battle happened off screen in an earlier chapter.

Prentiss – It took me FOREVER to come up with her second Persona. I was torn between the one she got, and Skadi, Eostre (for rebirth and new beginnings), Minerva/Athena (Wisdom/War/Crafts), and Inanna (Love/War). The first idea I had for her boss battle was either the baby she aborted or the father of that baby but I thought that was A) too dark, even for this story and B) I had forgotten about Doyle somehow up until that point, so it worked out better this way. Thank you, Prentiss, for giving me the most trouble with EVERYTHING.

Reid – Reid was one of only 2 Personas I had 100% decided on when I started this story (the other being Nike for Garcia). I had his boss battle in my head well before the others, and it was actually going to be his first one and his mother was going to be his second one. I changed that to prevent everyone's second boss battle being a family member as well as I thought the battle would do better as a Heroic and not just the standard tank-n-spank.

Morgan – Another one I went through a Hell of my own to decide on his second one. I don't even remember other contenders, but Tyr was perfect. The second battle was originally going to be the dead boy or his father (refer to the Carl Buford episode) but I didn't want to draw from that era again… so I went with his cousin Cindi. But I also wrote this before SPOILERS I was aware that she was alive (and spoiled that for myself when researching her unfortunately), SPOILERSENDHERE so that's why that might seem like a bit of an awkward scene for those who have seen all Season 7.

Hotch – Oh Hotch. I'm so sorry. I hated to do that to you again. And especially after J.J.'s boss battle because it felt slightly repetitive. Also, I was torn between using Zeus and Jupiter, and I went with the latter because why not. Kuan Ti was also in the running for your second Persona. And Odin, actually, was going to be his second one, but I made it his primary.


	17. Chapter 17: Pursuit

**Author's Note:**

**A shorter-than-average chapter… and the third from the last. Thank you for continuing to support this story!**

Chapter Seventeen: Cult

"Your abilities continue to astound me," said Mitsuru, after the BAU members showed them their Personas. "Even after seven months of training, thoughts of us in SEES would have had a hard time standing against all of you."

"Yeah… and those of us from Inaba aren't much better off," said Yosuke. "Good job."

"What did you guys find out?" asked Reid.

"The carnival Hell that we went to… it was empty of any large threats, though we encountered quite a few Shadows. It was actually good training," said Akihiko.

"We were in a sort-of airport… I didn't recognize it, but I have a feeling that was supposed to be my Hell," said Fionn. "Again, only minor shadows."

"We went through a bunch of random Hells, but we didn't see anyone or anything. No Shadows, even," said Chie.

"But I did feel a beary big presence in that factory building way, way, way over there!" Teddie exclaimed. "I bet it's a big monster!"

"Possibly another victim of our UnSub?" asked Morgan.

"It could be the UnSub himself… regardless, I don't think we should attempt to attack him right now," said Hotch.

"I agree. I believe he's losing both his grip on reality and on this world. And if what you're saying about the worlds blending is true, Hotch, we need to get back and touch base with everyone in Quantico," said Reid.

"But like… how do we get out of here?" asked Kanji.

"Yeah… I can't see an exit," said Yukari.

"Teddie, can you get us out of here?" asked Yu.

"I believe so. Let me try…. RRRRAAAAWWWWRRR!" said the bear.

He stomped his foot and a stack of large computer monitors appeared out of the ground next to him, making the BAU and SEES members jump backwards in surprise. The Inaba group chuckled as they watched the others react, while Teddie looked incredibly proud of himself.

"Let's get going," said Hotch, leading the way.

They found themselves back in the computer room at Yasogami. The sun was starting to set outside, yet the school was still deserted. Recovering from the exit from the computer took a few minutes as everyone's heads stopped spinning. In the meantime, Hotch and Dojima began to plan how to cover their absence for the whole day, translated through Akihiko and Mitsuru. Thankfully, between the four of them, they were able to come up with a foolproof plan that involved separating them all over the prefecture. Thankfully, Mitsuru had some members of her group that were in the know about the Shadows and Personas, and they promised to help smooth things over.

"Can I borrow someone's phone? I kind of lost mine back in my hotel room," said Fionn.

"Sure… who are you calling, if I may ask?" asked Morgan.

"Oh… my airline. I missed my show time by like… six hours or something. I need to make sure I'm not fired," said Fionn.

"Don't worry; we'll cover for you in the event that you are disciplined," said Hotch.

"I appreciate…" said Fionn, dialing a number. "Hey, Irene, it's Fionn. You're not gonna believe the kind of day I've had—."

He left the room to talk in the hallway with his boss. There was an awkward pause in the room while the other members of the various groups tried to get their bearings, watching as Garcia nervously tapped away at her keyboard. After a few minutes, she became aware of all the eyes on her.

"Oh! Sorry, guys, I don't have anything just yet. It's still way early in the morning in Virginia so I don't know if Kevin is awake yet. Um… if you just want to go, I can call you back when I learn something," she said.

"That's not a bad idea," said Naoto. "I, for one, am quite fatigued… I think it would be best if we return to our homes and rest."

"Yeah… I want to make sure Nanako is okay," said Yu.

"Very well. I will live this in your very capable hands, Agents," said Mitsuru.

She explained what was happening to everyone else and the non-English speakers nodded. Yukiko told them to call her whenever they wanted to return to the inn, and everyone except the BAU members, Akihiko, Naoto, and Kanji left. A few minutes later, Yukiko and Chie returned to briefly drop off large boxes of food, which they ate quickly and ravenously. Now that they were out of the internet world, they became aware of just how tired and hungry they were.

"We were in there for over half a day. I can't believe that… it didn't seem THAT long," said Morgan.

"I still think Nike keeps us… I don't know, alive and well," said Prentiss. "How else could we last as long as we did?"

"From what I… understand…" said Hotch, catching himself at the last moment. "I… think time between our worlds works differently. To that extent it is, I'm not sure. I do know, however, that if the problems from that area continue to spill out into the real world, we're going to face a battle I'm not sure we can win."

"So we have to stop him before it can wreak havoc on the rest of the world. Been there, done that," said Akihiko. "We just need to find out who it is."

The door slid open and Fionn walked back in, grinning sheepishly. "Well, good news! I'm not fired. They cancelled our flights for today and tomorrow so my crew is just getting an extended Tokyo vacation. I wasn't missed; everyone assumed I was out enjoying the city. Half our crew went to Osaka anyway."

"They cancelled everything today and tomorrow? Is it that bad?" asked Reid.

"Um, yes. That's putting it mildly, actually," said Garcia. "Take a look at… wait… ugh, the technology in this school makes me so sad… okay, there!"

After fighting with the projector, a flickering screen appeared on the far wall. It was a looping map of the weather in the United States. Almost every square inch of the United States was covered by a storm of epic proportions; it spun slowly as it worked its way around, growing bigger with every frame. Garcia showed them how it had combined with other storm systems that had popped up, mixing into the monster they saw before them.

"It's not all rain, believe it or not. There's rain, snow, hail, tornadoes… you name it, this storm's got it," said Garcia.

"Where did it start? And when?" asked J.J.

"That's just it… it started right after the first murder took place," said Garcia. "… let me see how far back I can get… there we go!"

She scrolled back through the week worth of weather satellite photos until she reached the night of the first murders. As it scrolled through the night, they saw the first two odd blips appear out of nowhere over California and Michigan, slowly growing into their own systems. As time went on, two more popped up over Mississippi and Wisconsin, and a day later three more came over Arkansas, Pennsylvania, and Montana. It wasn't until a second major system collided with the first one in Mississippi when Morgan finally voiced what they were all thinking.

"These storms started the same night as the victims… and near the same locations," he said.

"Yeah… I remember hearing reports that they thought the Gulf was playing a big part in the southern storms, but… now I don't think that's true," said J.J.

"This is too much of a coincidence. I have no doubt that this is related and that when those victims came back through from that world to this world, the storms blossomed out. It's the perfect break," said Reid.

Kanji made confused noises and Naoto explained things to him in Japanese before taking a few steps forward to examine one of the maps closer. She had Garcia zoom in as far as she could on Centerville, MS, and asked her to loop the slides. When it got to the part where the second storm came up, she had her freeze the frame, tapping on the paper the projector was hitting.

"There's more than two storms here. There's a third one… but it seems different. More erratic. Is it possible that you missed a body?" she asked.

"It's possible… the tornado did tear that down apart," said Morgan.

"Good eye on that… I didn't even notice," said Prentiss.

"What are you thinking?" asked Hotch.

"I'm thinking… this is different, and needs to be investigated. This is where most of your storms are strengthening from. It's building up and moving across the country, which is very peculiar for the United States, correct?" she asked.

"Typically, yes, although hurricanes are a usual exception. This storm bears a lot of similarities with such storms, though it is far more massive than should be sustainable," said Reid.

"Oh… guys, Kevin's awake. Hey, baby, you're on speaker!" Garcia said, suddenly.

"Oh… there you are! Thank goodness, I was so worried. How's Japan? Did you manage to get me a few boxes of Pocky? What about those videos I asked for…?" Kevin asked.

"Later, darling, I've got a lot to tell you and I promise I'll go souvenir shopping. How are you doing?" asked Garcia.

"I'm doing pretty good, all things considered," he said. "We've been on generator power for like… twelve hours now. Everything is in chaos. I'm one of like forty people who made it in to work; almost everyone else is stranded."

"That bad, huh? Is Strauss in?" asked Morgan.

"N-not that I noticed," said Kevin. "Thank goodness. She's been all over me for days..."

"Though I sympathize with your plight, Kevin, we are in a bit of a rush here. What have you found?" asked Hotch.

"Oh, Agent Hotchner, I have found so much. In fact, I dare say I may have solved your case. I was digging around on the Carlisles' computers, and I found his work password. So, of course, I snuck in and poked around. And found some e-mails you may wanna look at," said Kevin.

He sent them to Garcia who brought them up. The correspondence, both between Huey and Donna and to one of their bosses, was full of very confusing dialog that didn't belong in a workplace setting. Requests for reports and feedback were intermixed with veiled references to "running groups," dungeons, cults, and even concern over the way they were acting at work and at play.

"I don't… see what this has to do with anything," said Hotch.

"Well, it's an Admin account they all have access to, so I couldn't tell from this which one of his bosses he was e-mailing, but they're talking about that game, I think," said Kevin.

"Yeah," said Fionn, who'd been reading over J.J.'s shoulder. "Groups, cults, dungeons… those are all just how we talk in the game. Running a dungeon, forming a group, taking out a cult to unlock a new Hell…"

"And if you get addicted I'm sure that's going to take a toll on you," said Prentiss.

"But that still doesn't explain why you think that it solved our case," said Morgan.

Kevin chuckled. "Well… here's the last one that was sent, just a few days before the Carlisle couple died. They tried to delete it to hide it, but I found it pretty effortlessly, really. Read it and tell me that doesn't put up a red flag."

On the screen, the e-mail came up, showing first Huey's urgent plea about the deaths of the people on the roofs all over the world, urging "SS" to pick up the phone and talk to him or his wife. He said that since they were in the area, they wanted to meet, to help him. They were scared and wanted out of Nyx's Embrace. The scathing reply, signed by "SS" himself, started out by blasting the Carlisles for turning their backs on him before it softened, turning it into a way for them to apologize by joining him at his house for "dinner, drinks, the usual." The final reply was from Donna Carlisle, who thanked him for agreeing to get help, arranging to meet the same night the two turned up dead.

"Oh my God…" muttered J.J. "He's the one who… he's the one who killed them. He knew them in real life."

"They worked at the same company! We have to figure out who that was. Garcia, can you figure out who wrote those e-mails, or-?" began Prentiss, excitedly.

"I've done it. I have a name, an address, and a picture of both the man and where he works," said Kevin. "His name is Steve Scrobola, a mid-level manager who was one step up above the Carlisle couple in the twisted corporate ladder. And this… is where they worked. And wouldn't you know it? His card returned with a premium subscription to Divinity Online."

As soon as the pictures began to pop up on the screen, they got a look at their UnSub. He was balding and ordinary looking. In his eyes, there was a sort of disgust, though he hid it behind a lightly bearded, grinning façade. Hotch knew this type well. He was the type you would pass on the street without noticing, barely giving him a second glance… and he would resent you for it for the rest of your life.

"So that's Steve Scrobola… and you think he's the guy?" said Reid.

"I traced his character the other day… aha! I knew it. He's the Raid Leader for Nyx's Embrace… so he's not top dog, but he's close. He's still in charge of most of the fighters, as well as creating content for their own dungeons and Hells," said Garcia.

"He was rejected multiple times by the software company for a coding job, once for not having the prerequisite degree… but by the time he got that, the economy tanked and the game company wasn't hiring anymore. He applied for six other positions at entry-level, but he was over qualified, at least according to his LiveJournal posts," said Kevin.

"… people still use that? Good lord welcome back to last decade…" Fionn muttered.

"Wait a minute… Garcia, bring up the picture of their workplace," said Morgan.

As soon as she maximized the picture, Kanji went absolutely ballistic. He started jumping up and down and screaming at the screen, waving his hands around and pointing. Naoto shirked at him to calm down and then listened as he explained. Her eyes widened, and she turned back to the others.

"That's… that's the factory where they were earlier," said Naoto. "There is a Hell that looks just like that!"

"We've got him… son of a bitch, I bet he's in there!" snarled Morgan.

"Wait a minute. We don't know for sure he's on this side yet. I think we should have Rossi and a contingent of agents try and track him down on that side," began Hotch.

"He's already gone," said Kevin. "As soon as he saw all of the stuff I found, he and Agent Seaver left for Mississippi. They're meeting up with a local force and going to his house and that factory. They're going to fly in to Baton Rouge I think and try from there."

"Leave it to Rossi… heh, he just knew," said Hotch. "All right. Once we get a confirmation on whether or not he's there, we will enter the computer and prepare to catch him. For now, we need to get as much rest as possible."

They returned to the Amagi Inn, where everyone immediately washed and got dressed for bed. Hotch left a couple of texts and voicemails for Rossi, Seaver, and Strauss, as well as bringing Mitsuru and Yukiko up to date on the situation. They, in turn, spread word to everyone else, telling them to prepare for combat at a moment's notice. But once he was in his room, Hotch felt himself falling into a stupor again. The exhaustion hit him like a freight train and he collapsed on his bed.

Six hours later, his phone woke him up, buzzing incessantly. He rolled over, looked at it, and saw Dave's number. He picked it up and sat up in bed, tossing aside his sheets and starting to get dressed.

"He's not here, Aaron," said Rossi. "We just got to his house, and nothing. It's been stripped bare of all technology. But they found a ton of computers at the job… some of which are flashing white. I told them to leave it to me, but it'll take me time to get over there. I think he's in the world."

"I agree," said Hotch. "Okay, Dave, get there when you can. We're assembling our team… we've gotten quite a bit stronger since last time. Be ready for a fight."

Rossi chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, Aaron. It'll just be nice to see you all able to keep up with me this time."

In record time, the BAU, SEES, and Investigation Team members were crammed back into the Yasogami computer lab, waiting for word from Rossi. Thanks to the small amount of rest, almost everyone looked refreshed and ready to fight. At first, Hotch was leery about having Fionn, Nanako, and Dojima re-join them in the world, but they made it very clear (the latter two through Mitsuru and Yu) that they had no intentions of sitting out the fight with the man who caused them so much trouble.

Their call came at what would have been 9:42 AM in Mississippi. Rossi was positioned outside one of the computers, with Seaver and several other agents preparing to stand guard outside in case of any unexpected attacks. He told them they had forty-five minutes to enter the computer, get to the place, and then he would enter to surprise them.

"Just watch your back. There could be traps and he could have some sort of surveillance watching you from inside the world," warned Morgan.

"I'm prepared for that," said Rossi. "You all should be careful, too."

"Let's go, then. Three… two… one… Now!" Hotch counted down.

They entered the internet world, where the mist was still blinding, wires still actively fell around them and in the distance, and actual forks of lightning streaked across the blurry sky. After a few moments of gathering their wits and Garcia's finding the right direction to go, they headed toward where the factory was. They walked in silence, everyone preparing themselves mentally for the fight ahead. Everyone held weapons, even the BAU members, who had finally ditched the Evokers at the urging of the Investigation Team.

"Old habits die hard for us," said Mitsuru, when they'd suggested that they do the same. "Don't worry. None of use a gun, so there's no chance we will mix it up in the heat of battle."

They finally got to the factory. It was a pretty standard building with a corroded, metal chain fence and busted windows and empty smoke stacks. An office area sat up and to the left of where the main machines and boilers and vents were located. The sign had faded so much that they had no idea what it originally said. Hotch also had the uneasy feeling that the faint red bits were blood and not faded ink.

"Wait… Garcia, do you see that faint purple line there?" asked Fionn, pointing to the gate.

"I… I do. Aha. This is a Raid. No wonder y'all couldn't get in earlier," said Garcia.

"What's a raid, if I may ask?" asked Akihiko.

"Oh… um… it means we can fight with up to 40 people…" said Fuuka. "You cannot enter with less than 10."

These damn Hells keep changing the rules… but, wait, we definitely have enough now, yeah?" asked Morgan.

"Yes. It's not 40, but usually the Hells will auto-scale based on however many you have. That being said… I don't know if that's the case with this one. And I can feel immense power coming from inside. We need to make sure we're totally ready for this," said Garcia.

"How about we start buffing now?" suggested Chie. "It'll save us the trouble when we're inside."

"I agree… we may need to start fighting immediately," said Yukiko.

"Let's not get caught off guard. Everyone, choose your roles. There's three: tank, for you big strong fighter men… healers, who… well… heal. And protect. And DPS, or damage dealers. This will help us organize you inside better," said Garcia. "Fuuka, Rise… could you help me?"

In the end, she assigned the role of Tanks to Morgan, Akihiko, Kanji, Aigis, Chie, and Yu. In DPS, she they grouped up Yosuke, Yukiko, Dojima, Naoto, Koromaru, Prentiss, Hotch, Fionn, and Mitsuru. For Healing and General Support, Nanako, J.J., Teddie, Yukari, and Reid took point. That left Fuuka, Rise, and Garcia to keep an eye on things on the back line, especially for if it got hairy.

"Okay… I think we're as ready as we're going to be," said Hotch. "Prepare to enter…"

As soon as the gates opened and they stepped inside the yard of the factory, a siren of sorts began to blare, but it soon cut out. Just like everything else, even the Hell in this world seemed to be malfunctioning. They made their way carefully to the front doors with no trouble and no worry from Garcia. But at the door, Garcia said she was sensing a lot of presences, though none of the girls could identify exactly what they were.

"They seem human, but… that can't be right with these energy readings…" muttered Fuuka.

"Open the door, but be careful," said Hotch.

The moment the giant metal doors swung open, the "raid" members each showed signs of surprise and took a more defensive stance, tightening the grip on their weapons. Even in the semi-darkness of the place they were in, they hadn't expected to see the hooded, black-masked figures in front of them. Two rows of enemies, each clad in the same garb, all staring back with blank eyes.

"I… I didn't think we'd have to fight humans on this side of the internet," said Prentiss.

"Me either… but… don't let your guard down," said Morgan.

"I am Agent Hotchner with the FBI in the United States!" Hotch shouted to the figures. "We know what is going on here and we understand that Steve Scrobola is to blame for this place. We don't want to hurt anyone else. Some of you may have even been forced here. We are prepare to show you mercy. Stand aside and let us apprehend the suspect. In doing so, we assure you that you will not be harmed."

In response, one of the front row figures took a few steps forward, raised its hand, and shot a massive fireball directly at the center of the raid group.

**Author's Note:**

**The next chapter should be out in December 2013 following the NaNoWriMo Hiatus I always go on. We will finally see the thrilling conclusion to the BAU member's adventure into the internet world… Cult is the next chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18: Cult

**Author's Note:**

**It's been a very long time, hasn't it? I finally got a chance to get my life back on (some form of) track, and I did the penultimate chapter of this lengthy book. Since I made y'all wait so long, this is a mega chapter. However, I hope you really enjoy it. Thank you for your continued patience and support of my story!**

Chapter Eighteen: Cult

The hooded figures were well-organized and prepared for the BAU members. They were forced to scatter as the first volley of elemental attacks buzzed into them. Hotch ran with Reid, Prentiss, Garcia, Yu, Dojima, Nanako, and Fionn to one of the far sides of the walled-in parking lot as a group of ten hooded figures pursued them.

"They're splitting us up… they're trying to separate us to tire us out!" exclaimed Garcia. "We can't get boxed in!"

"What are we facing?" asked Hotch, as he had Jupiter block a bolt of lightning that was aiming for Nanako.

"They're all over the place… they… they appear to have been fully taken over by Shadows," said Garcia. "But I can tell they have their own weaponry, so be careful!"

An arrow shot by Hotch just as she said that. He could see one of the hooded figures loading another one, so Hotch sent Jupiter roaring forward. Power gathered around the Persona's hand, shining in a bright yellow that blinded the hooded figures. The God's Hand slammed into the attacker, sending him and two others soaring ten feet backwards.

"Nice shot, Hotch," complimented Prentiss. "Let's keep this up!"

Prentiss called Sphinx out, and the Persona grinned at the hooded figures. She let out a deafening roar, which dumbfounded several of the attackers. A couple even dropped their weapons entirely as they stumbled around in a daze. This gave Dojima and Yu the perfect opportunity to blast the confused ones with Agidyne and Ziodyne from Chisato and Izanagi, respectively. They were immediately surrounded by a purple aura, as the rallying whinny of Unicorn echoed around the courtyard.

"S-sorry! Was I too late? I'm still learning how to do this," Nanako said, apologetically.

"You did fine, Nanako. I feel much stronger," said Yu, smiling at his cousin. "Just keep yourself safe, okay?"

"Got it!" she said, enthusiastically.

One of the hooded figures chasing Hotch and his group had a massive battle axe slung over his shoulder. He advanced at them, dodging past the sweeping fire sent by Fionn, and actually deflecting a bolt of ice from Sphinx. He roared down onto Reid, who barely conjured Raphael out to parry the attack.

"That one… he blocks all elemental attacks!" said Garcia. "Sorry; Morgan's group is pinned down and I'm trying to help them."

"We can handle him, then," said Hotch. "Prentiss, try and cut a path towards Morgan's group. Do whatever you just did to stagger our attackers."

"I'm on it. One Tentarafoo coming right up," said Prentiss, running off.

The hooded shadow-man took another swipe at Raphael, and Reid grunted in pain from the impact. Jupiter used another God's Hand attack, which did temporarily break off the assault, but the man recovered quickly. His attacks hit hard, even on the Personas, and he had a little more dexterity than someone with a forty-pound axe swinging around them should have.

"Hotch: your primary target has buffs on him," came Rise's voice, suddenly. "You'll have to try and weaken him if you want to dispatch him quickly."

"And please, hurry!" cried Fuuka. "I'm sensing more Shadows approaching from inside!"

Hotch glanced over to the opened door to the factory and watched as another dozen armed, hooded figures broke off and began to engage those left on the field. His eyes swept over the others, all of whom were fighting hard and seemingly holding their own. Sounds of explosions, thunderclaps, shattering ice, and howling wind echoed around the large yard. Hotch was relieved to see that everyone on their side seemed to be fighting and hadn't been badly injured yet, but his attention was brought back to the battle when a particularly strong blow from the axe-man knocked him to his senses.

"I can weaken him, but I need to switch to a different Persona. Cover me for a minute, okay?" asked Yu.

"Got it," said Hotch.

Raphael and Jupiter coordinated a strike against the axe man, but still he seemed to stand strong against it. A wave of green light shot past the two of them, engulfing the man. Hotch and Red glanced back to see Nanako and Unicorn again, the later of which was focusing the green light from its horn into the enemy. Dojima was next to his daughter as Chisato hovered above the two, focusing on the thin sword in her hand. Suddenly, she was surrounded by a blast of red energy.

"Chisato's charged up and ready at your command," said Dojima.

"Unicorn says this should slow him down," said Nanako. "Big Bro should be ready to help you soon!"

"Thanks," said Hotch. "Whenever you're ready, Narukami."

"Come forth, TRUMPETER!" called Yu.

A skeletal-looking angel appeared before Yu, blowing into a golden horn. The axe man was hit in rapid succession by orange, green, and purple lights, and he stumbled. He appeared to be having difficulty swinging the hammer around. Dojima took the opening and Chisato flew forth, her blade shining with golden light. She ran the axe man through, and he fell to the ground, the purplish haze around him fully disappearing. Unlike the other Shadow people, his body remained behind.

"He's… he's been released from the Shadows," said Garcia. "I'm sensing others like him out here."

"Why didn't he disappear?" asked Reid. "Granted, he was far stronger than the others, but shouldn't he disappear with defeat?"

"No time to ask questions. I'll keep an eye on him, but you guys need to help the others," said Garcia. "We've broken through our attackers, but more are focusing on the others. J.J. and one of the Inaba groups need help," said Garcia.

They split up. Hotch, Fionn, and Reid went to help J.J. while the Dojimas and Yu went to assist their friends. They saw J.J., Akihiko, and Yukari surrounded by a semi-circle of cloaked people, and the three looked particularly winded. Hotch cut a path through the cloaked figures with a bolt of lightning.

"Agent Hotchner, they've been weakened considerably by the one with the mace," came the voice of Fuuka. "He's strong against electricity and can block most physical damage, so use caution!"

"Understood," said Hotch. "Hang in there, guys! Dekunda!"

Above Hotch, Jupiter closed his eyes and held focus into one of his thin electric bolts. J.J., Akihiko, and Yukari were surrounded by a golden, translucent orb, which shattered almost as quickly as it formed. The three shook themselves off and stood taller, stronger, and smiled.

"That's more like it. Thanks, Hotch," said J.J.

Angerona appeared above the blonde woman just as Yukari's Persona materialized above her. The two women glanced at each other and nodded. Angerona's eyes flashed and the orb above Isis blinked red momentarily, and a mighty gale tore up around them. Most of the cloaked figures around the group were thrown clear by the wind, some were shredded and faded into Shadowy energy. Only one remained, this one holding a staff with a bejeweled skull in the top of it. It began to chant at them, and dark shadows began to appear below them.

"It's using Mamudoon! Be careful!" cried Fuuka, suddenly.

The glyphs and purple flames rose around them, engulfing the group. When the flames cleared, Hotch found Jupiter standing over him, having shrugged off most of the blast. Angerona had moved J.J. out of the radius of the blast, and Raphael had simply shrugged it off for Reid. Fionn, unfortunately, hadn't been as lucky, and the young man was floored.

"Fionn's unconscious!" cried Fuuka, unhelpfully.

"Oh, geeze, I forgot! Phoenix is weak to Darkness," cried Rise. "I'm sorry!"

"D-don't worry about it…" came the muffled voice of Fionn.

He struggled to his feet, coughing and dusting himself off. Blood dripped from his nose, where he'd slammed into the hard-packed earth. Akihiko immediately had Caesar come forth to heal him, while Angerona gave them all a once-over for good measure. Fionn shook his head again, wiping the dried blood off his face.

"I… think Phoenix lets me get back up after defeat… at least mostly… I'm gonna need a minute to catch my breath, though," said Fionn, pulling himself into a sitting position.

"I can watch him. You all should move on. It looks like we're gaining ground," said Akihiko.

"Garcia, how's it look up there?" asked Hotch, glancing up to his technical analyst.

"We're doing pretty good. We seem to be making progress. However, Fuuka says she's sensing more coming from inside," said Garcia, as she floated twenty feet above them. "I don't know when there's going to be an end to them. We may have to find a way to blast through or stem the flow."

"Garcia, or Rise or Fuuka, can one of you look for weak spots on the structure? I'm wondering if the general collapsing state of the world around us doesn't go on to include the building itself," said Reid.

"Looking into it out. Garcia out," she said, flying closer to the building.

Hotch and the rest of his group charged further into the fray. They soon came upon Mitsuru, Chie, and Naoto, who were holding their own against a spear-wielding strong cloaked woman and her dozen shadowy helpers. Rise checked in to warn them about the defensive stats of the woman right as she surrounded himself with the translucent blue and red orbs.

"She's been shielding herself like that this whole time. Our attacks won't go through," said Naoto.

"I know what to do. Be ready to strike right after me," said Hotch, as he dodged a sweeping attack from one of the secondary ones. "Jupiter!"

The God hurtled forward, slamming his fist directly into the hooked, shadowed figure. The blowback from the shield hit Hotch hard, rattling him and making him see double. Despite the stars in his eyes, he immediately followed it up with a bolt of lightning, which bounced off the remaining shield and was fully absorbed by Jupiter. Hotch felt his strength return and his vision cleared. Mitsuru, Yukari, Naoto, J.J., and Reid were ready, and their combined attacks not only blasted the spear woman down, but took out most of the other shadows.

"Agent Hotchner, good news! The supporting walls around the door are very weak; if you strike them, I think you'll be able to knock down the ceiling inside," said Rise. "It'll render the hallway impassable, though. I'm looking for another way in."

"Excellent work. Let's move," said Hotch, waving his small team forward.

They ran across the yard, heading for the doors. Morgan, Aigis, Prentiss, and Koromaru soon joined them. They took out two more weapon-wielding Shadow people and countless minor shadow folks before they got to the front doors of the office building/factory. The weaker Shadows began to meld together, grotesque formations of humans turning into the shapes of monsters they'd defeated in the other Personal Hells.

"Morgan, you and Chie and Aigis focus on taking out the walls. The rest of us will cover you and distract the Shadows," said Hotch.

"Got it," replied Morgan. "C'mon, Tyr!"

Using the flaming stump of his non-sword arm, Morgan's Persona blasted a hole in the wall of Shadows for him, Chie, and Aigist to break through. While they were occupied with that, Hotch, Reid, J.J., Prentiss, Mitsuru, Koromaru, and Naoto worked on picking off the lesser Shadows. The ones with the purple aura had returned, and two of the speedo-wrestler Shadows gnashed their teeth at Hotch and his group as the charged up attacks.

"Can someone give us a reading on these?" asked Hotch.

The support girls drowned each other out in trying to respond, and the confusion gave the Shadows and advantage. They moved with terrifying speedy, delivering an array of blinding punches that knocked everyone down. Mitsuru took a particularly nasty hit and landed on her back, shaking her head.

"Mitsuru's injured! Keep an eye on her," cried Fuuka. "Sorry; I'll take over assisting your group for now, Agent Hotchner! I'm scanning for weaknesses now. They deliver powerful Strike attacks!"

"We noticed," grumbled Prentiss, shaking her own head to clear it. "J.J., you and Yukari want to take point on healing? I'll try and weaken them."

"Good idea," said J.J. "Angerona and Isis will support while you guys strike."

Sphinx's mind-altering attacks failed to produce any results (all she got was a nasty punch from the shorter of the two wrestler Shadows), so she relented and focused on depleting their attack power and defenses. Reid bought them some time by surrounding them with the reddish reflective shields, which rebounded the next round of strikes onto the wrestlers, which only served to infuriate them.

"This isn't working. Fuuka, any news?" asked Hotch.

"I'm sorry! They appear to still be undergoing a Shadow metamorphosis, so the final form is not yet complete… I can't detect any weaknesses for certain," she said.

"We'll keep trying, then," said Reid.

A long, chilling howl rose over the battle. Down by his ankles, Hotch was surprised to see Koromaru, his red eyes fixated on the Shadows. The same aura that surrounded the other Investigation Team members formed by the dog, and a black, three-headed dog with fork-like claws reared its head. The circular glyphs and purple flames of the Dark-type spells engulfed the Shadows. To their shock, it actually took out one of the wrestlers, and it exploded in Shadowy energy.

"Good boy, Koro-chan," said Yukari, petting the dog. "Can either of you use Dark?"

"No, that was Rossi's specialty if I remember correctly," said Hotch.

"Let me try something. Come forth once more, Raphael!" cried Reid.

The Angel burst into life again, his arm extending towards the remaining Shadow. He clenched his fist, and a shimmering card bisected the shadow. The red character appeared on the front and, with a flash, the entire Shadow disappeared. At the same time, the sound of collapsing building reached their ears. Hotch and the others watched as the front of the office began to fall apart. The doors crumbled, and the walls around it began to cave in. A cloud of dust and debris rose out of the central doorway as the entire hallway collapsed.

"It's blocked. The Shadows have stopped coming. It appears that we are safe for now… thank goodness," said Fuuka.

"Good. Let's take care of the rest of the ones out here and move on," said Hotch.

They found only two more powerful Shadow humans among the weaker varieties in the courtyard. In addition to the ones the other groups had faced, they had a total of nine people who had apparently been released from the Shadow's grip. They carefully laid them out next to each other: seven men, two women, all of varying races, ages, and sizes.

"Did anyone bring a camera with them?" asked Hotch.

"Just the ones on our phones, I think," said Naoto. "I don't suppose any of you recognize these people?"

"No. We also don't know if they're other victims, or if they're part of Scrobola's inner circle," said Morgan. "Are they doing okay?"  
>"They're all very weak, but they seem to be alive," said Rise.<p>

"I'm trying to see if there's a way Nike can access the outside world from in here," said Garcia. "If I can get Kevin to start looking into these people, maybe we'll have some more answers."

"We've disarmed them, and the Shadows seem to be leaving them alone. I think that'll be enough for this," said Yu. "If they aren't used to this place and have been attacked by Shadows, they'll likely be very weak."

"Yes. I was laid up for over a week after these guys rescued me," said Yukiko.

"How are you all faring, by the way?" asked Prentiss.

Almost everyone was doing well. Fionn had recovered from his fight. Nanako was a bit winded from the fighting, but still in good spirits. Yosuke had taken a lot of damage in his fights, as had Teddie and Yukiko. However, they all said they were cleared to continue. Rise, Fuuka, and Garcia all stood near the large building, their Personas connected, analyzing the entire building.

"Okay, so, here's what we know," said Garcia. "There are two paths inside. Since we blasted the main one, we have to take an alternate. Unfortunately, he's set it up so that both groups have to work together to unlock paths to the next section for the other. So… as much as I hate to say this… we have to split up again."

"But Scrobola's in there, right?" asked Hotch.

"Without a doubt. I can sense him from here," said Fuuka. "Once you've made it inside, you'll be able to confront him."

"It's tight inside, though. Some hallways won't allow you to fully summon your personas. You should arm yourselves, in case hand-to-hand fighting becomes necessary," said Rise.

"Good idea. We'll use the weapons we took off the Shadow-controlled humans out here," said Hotch. "How's the split going to work?"

"Well, I'm going to stay out here. Juno is the best for long-distance scanning and sensing, so I can give you an accurate description from here," said Fuuka. "I'd be most comfortable with a guard or two, but I think I'm safe out here. Garcia and Rise will split up with each of you and take support on a more local level."

"I'm going left with all the BAU members, since I can read their Personas easiest," said Garcia. "I assume most of the Inaba residents will go with Rise, right?"

"That would be safest, I suspect. We'll leave two people behind to help Fuuka, in case she needs it," said Naoto.

"I'll stay behind," said Nanako. "I… want to help, but I don't want to slow you down."

"Nanako… thank you, that's very wise of you," said Hotch, kneeling next to her. "Keep Fuuka safe, and we'll be back as soon as we can."

"I'm staying with Nanako. Chisato and I can handle anything these guys throw at us. Plus… you've all had way more experience handling enemies like this. So… go for it. But be safe."

"All right. The access doors are on the far sides of these buildings, between the building and fence. We'll split up and meet when the paths come together in the middle of the raid. My guess is that we'll face some sort of powerful enemy in there, so please use caution at all time, my lovelies," said Garcia.

Hotch, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, J.J., Garcia, Akihiko, Fionn, Mitsuru, and Aigis all went for the left-side door, while Yu, Yosuke, Yukiko, Chie, Rise, Kanji, Naoto, Teddie, Yukari, and the dog Koromaru headed for the right. The access doors were plain and unremarkable, opening into an old, dirty-smelling staircase. The door slammed shut behind them with a locking noise.

"Seems like there's no going back, then. This should be the end of it, then, huh?" said Akihiko, his eyes shining.

"You never change, no matter how old you get," said Mitsuru, shaking her head. "Can you hear us, Yamagishi?"

"Loud and clear, Mitsuru-senpai. You're safe for now; there's a couple of blips two floors above you. You'll be stuck at a guard there until the other team can open the way for you," said Fuuka.

They followed the staircase up and entered a narrow hallway. Along one side were windows that, presumably, had once looked down onto the main work area of the factory… until they'd collapsed the roof, anyway. Now streaked with scratches, dirt, and debris, they were unable to see anything. Meanwhile, on their left, they passed tiny offices, each in a state of disrepair. Computers scrolled walls and walls of white text on black screens. Chunks had been torn out of the walls, and papers lay scattered everywhere.

They followed the narrow hallway slowly and carefully, but they never encountered anyone. Now and again, they'd catch a faint whisper or grumble, but whatever the voices were saying was too faint to be fully heard. At the end of the hallway, they came upon a locked door which, as far as they could tell, lead out to the suspended catwalk above the factory floor. They couldn't open it, which told them that they were probably at the very edge of the places they were allowed to explore.

"We'll have to wait for the other group, then. I think it would be a good idea for you to practice with your new weapons, Agents. We may be encountering some difficult areas out there," said Mitsuru.

An open employee lounge area sat off to the side of the locked door, which gave the agents plenty of room to try out their new weaponry. Hotch had taken a heft sword off one of the Shadow people, and he took a few practice swings at a coffee table, cutting the legs off of it. Morgan had the axe from the tenacious fighter, and he spent a couple of minutes obliterating the coffee pot and mini refrigerator in the corner. Prentiss stabbed holes in the wall with a long spear, while Reid closely studied the skull staff, testing its ability to shoot small orbs of light from its eyes. J.J. slashed her initials into a couch cushion with a whip she'd procured. Fionn the flight attendant took repeated shots at an employee of the month picture featuring Scrobola, repeatedly shooting him in the face.

"Very nice aim," said Hotch.

"Yeah, well, it's clear this guy thinks he's the Gods' gift to mankind. It's pretty cool how I'm not running out of arrows, though," said Fionn, fitting another arrow to the string. A replacement arrow immediately appeared in the quiver strapped to his back.

"You know, guys, this place isn't very well put together. It seems more unstable than it should be. I don't think I can usually cut holes into a wall like this in the real world," said Prentiss.

"I think she's right," said Morgan. "I know I'm strong, but these appliances literally gave me no resistance."

"That worries me, actually," said Reid. "If this place is becoming unstable, and this is a reflection of our UnSub's mind, we could be in for a rude awakening. If he's getting more and more unbalanced, there's no telling what he'll do."

"This Hell is his entire world, now," said J.J. "Without it, he's nothing. If it crumbles, his mind will crumble with it."

"Which, in turn, makes this place even more unstable. It'll turn into a negative feedback loop and that may have unpredictable effects on the fabric of reality in this world," said Reid.

"So, basically, we need to find and defeat this guy as quickly as possible. Consider it done," said Akihiko, punching out an empty water cooler.

They waited for a little while longer until there was a buzzing noise. The sound of a lock disengaging followed, and the doors out to the catwalk slid open. Just as the group headed out there, alarms blared and flashing lights all around the broken building began to blare, but were quickly silenced. Hotch looked around at the others, all bemused. A crackling noise and microphone feedback followed the cut-off sirens as a static-ridden voice reached their ears.

"**SO… so… you have found me… but this is my glorious work, my final Raid! Do you truly believe you can defeat me now?! This is MY world! I created it!**" cried the man.

"Steve Scrobola! This is Agent Hotchner of the FBI. We have you surrounded. Surrender yourself," said Hotch.

"**I am well aware of who you are! Hasn't my world proven that I…. about you…?"** replied the voice, beginning to fade out.

"This place is falling apart. Is his mind really that destroyed?" asked Mitsuru.

"**Silence, you knave! I… … … cannot defeat… … this office, my own Personal Hell… … your graves…!"** screamed Scrobola's voice.

The mic cut out again, and a ringing silence filled the area. Below them, the sound of a metal grate opening reached the ears of the ones in the rafters. They leaned over and peered through the dusty gloom of the factory floor, crisscrossed with different machines, assembly lines, and debris. Cautiously, a large group of figures made their way along the floor.

"Agents, do you hear me?" came Fuuka's voice. "I'm sensing that you are all close to the others… have you located them?"

"I think that's them below us, Hotch," said J.J. "Hey! Everyone down there! Are you with us?"

"Is that Agent Jareau? It's Naoto Shirogane! I have everyone with me!" she called back.

"Oh, excellent, this'll make things a lot easier," said Garcia. "Are you all okay?"

"Yes, we're fine!" came the call from Yu. "Only minor injuries from the previous battle. We ran into another two hooded figure, but we dispatched and disarmed them, along with the others. What about you?"

"Things have been quiet up here, so far anyway," replied Akhiko. "What's our next step?"

"Everything's locked down here. I think you'll have to get the switches up there!" said Rise. "Do you see anything?"

"Over there, on the far walls… I can see some control panels. Those are probably what we're after," said Morgan, pointing across the rows of catwalks.

Cautiously, the Agents made their way along the maze of suspended catwalks. They were only three feet wide, and the railings came to about hip height, so there wasn't a lot of room for combat. Because of the rafters around them, Hotch knew that summoning Jupiter would be incredibly difficult; the only one with a truly reasonable-sized Persona for the area was probably Fionn, and possibly Reid. Still, they each took a path to one of the control panels, opening them.

"There's only one button in each… that makes it easy, huh?" said Akihiko, jokingly.

"That seems too easy…" muttered Reid. "I wonder if there's a pattern of some sort to this…"

"Garcia, Fionn, you guys play this game a lot. What do you think?" asked Hotch.

"Honestly? I think we should just push all of them. Most of the Raids with this kind of mechanic just require all the buttons to be pushed. Of course, there's usually a fierce battle raging during the attempt to get to the buttons in the first place…" said Fionn.

"I agree. I'm pleasantly surprised at the lack of enemies. Perhaps his Raid isn't working as well as he'd hoped after all," said Garcia.

"Very well. On the count of three, everyone press their buttons. On my mark!" called Mitsuru.

As soon as everyone pressed their buttons, the sounds of unlocking echoed all around the rooms again. Looks of relief came over everyone's faces, and several of the guys from the ground floor sent out whoops of victory. Then, the blast of a buzzer echoed throughout the factory. The sound of machinery warming up came to their ears, and the lights around them flickered to life. All at once, they heard Garcia, Fuuka, and Rise gasp in shock.

"Here come the Shadows!" Garcia cried.

"We can see them down here… they're coming out along the assembly line… they look like people…!" cried Rise.

The whirring of the machines had churned up a lot of dust, and it became very hard to see the floor of the factory. Hotch peered as hard as he could through the mist, but he could barely see the outline of the largest belt. It looked like bodies were scattered all over it, but they began to morph into a fuller, much more grotesque shape as the belt brought them forward.

"There's six belts bringing out Shadows… and they're taking shape," said Garcia. "We need to stop those belts!"

"Let those of us on the ground handle that. Give us some cover form above… but be careful; it looks like you'll have some aerial attackers momentarily!" exclaimed Rise.

"I'm taking off," said Garcia, summoning Nike. "I can get a better view down below."

"Be careful, Baby Girl," said Morgan. "Don't let them get ya."

"Don't worry about me. Worry about our incoming… bird things," said Garcia. "This dust is making it hard for me to scan, but I'll do what I can!"

They were still split among the catwalks, with Morgan and Hotch on one. The two stood back-to-back, weapons held at the ready, as the screech of an angry bird reached their ears. A large bird training a lantern swooped in and around them, trying to pierce at them with their beaks. The lantern was apparently enchanted, since an explosion of fire caught Hotch by surprise. He dove to the ground as Morgan took a ferocious swing with his axe, burying it into and destroying the shadow bird.

"You all right?" asked Morgan, helping Hotch to his feet.

"Yes, thank you. You'll be in good form here, Morgan, you can block fire attacks. Garcia, anything to report?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, sir, I've got some good news for you: they're weak to Ice, but they're also incredibly fast. They attack with fire, which I assume means they're strong to it. Rise believes she's pinpointed the machine that's spawning them, so they're focusing on that one to start with," said their analyst.

"You on that, Prentiss?' asked Hotch.

"Already trying to take care of it, Hotch!" called Prentiss. "Trying to find a safe place to send Sphinx out!"

"I'm going to start boosting our speed and accuracy," said Fionn. "That way, when we can find a spot, we'll be able to fight properly!"

"Garcia, can you find us a more suitable battle platform? We're sitting ducks up here," said Reid.

"On it. There's four levels of catwalks, and you guys are on the highest. The third one down has a good spot in the center," she said. "And just to update you, Kanji Tatsumi just single-handled broke one of the machines down there, so we've made progress already!"

While Morgan fended off the increasing numbers of birds, Hotch tried to figure out where everyone else was, as well as how to get down to the other catwalks. He could see distant ladders, but he could also see one of the next-level paths were just below where he and Morgan were. He suggested they jump and, once he realized he wasn't kidding, Morgan went along with it with a grin.

The two men jumped down and landed on the lower catwalk, which shook and groaned in protest to the sudden weight. The two held fast to the railings, looking at each other, and shaking their heads. Hotch warned the others that jumping probably wasn't a good idea after all, since the entire place was only barely holding together.

"Another machine down! However, the main one has ramped up its speed, and the Shadows are starting to meld together in the center of it. That concerns me; I'll keep you posted," said Garcia.

"Everyone doing okay down below?" asked Hotch.

"Mostly. Chie and Yukiko took a nasty hit from a Shadow down there, and Yukari got silenced, but they've got healers tending to them," said Garcia. "Looks like everyone up here is okay."

"For now, anyway," said Hotch.

The birds continued to circle and peck at them. Hotch was hit hard on the shoulder by the edge of one of the lanterns, but an arrow from Fionn took the bird out before he could react. Below him, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and Prentiss had made it to the platform, and all three began to summon their Personas. With Sphinx blasting ice at the birds, the flocks began to thin out, which gave the others time to use their Phoenix-granted agility boosts to assemble on the wide platform above the factory floor.

"Another machine down, but so is Yukiko," said Garcia. "Chie's covering her, but she's unconscious. The others are starting to get pinned down; apparently those Policeman-like Shadows are back and laying down heavy fire. Anyone able to help?"

"I will lay down covering fire," said Aigis, pointing her fingers at the ground. "Beginning… now!"

Suddenly, bullets began to shoot from her outstretched fingers. The ones who hadn't seen her fight before had their jaws hit the floor; nothing prepared them for that. However, their distraction was short lived as new enemies began to appear: the floating books that shot bolts and blasts of elemental attacks at them. Luckily, the Shadow books were stupid enough to get close enough for Prentiss to run them through with her spear, plus the few Personas they were able to Summon.

"Good news! Kanji just broke another machine! And the dog, Koromaru? He took out one all by himself, too! So we should be down to… a TANK?!" gasped Garcia.

They ran to the edges of the platform and Hotch's blood ran cold. The melding Shadows had completely dispersed and, in their place, was a huge, metallic tank. The barrel aimed towards the roof. It began to glow with the red electric charge that they'd come accustomed to seeing. Before Garcia could say anything, Hotch screamed at everyone to vacate the central platform.

They dove for the catwalks, and the cannon shot from the tank blasted the metal platform behind them apart. The ends of the catwalk began to give in, and it was all they could do to grab on to a piece of the twisted railing to stop from falling. Across the now-enormous gap in the holes, Hotch was horrified to see Emily lose her grip and fall. Sphinx appeared just in time to rescue her, and the Agent carefully dropped to the next level higher rafter.

"That tank is aiming exclusively for us! We have to be careful, or we're in huge trouble!" said Garcia.

"Get the ones on the bottom to distract it. We'll try and find our way down through the next section," said Hotch. "Find us an exit."

"Got it," said their support angel, flying off to find it.

"Aigis, do you think you can lay down cover fire?" asked Mitsuru.

"I can do one better. Switching to grenade mode. I will take the fight to them!" exclaimed Aigis.

The girl took a running leap, discarding her empty wrist magazines and switching to a more focused output. As Hotch, Reid, Morgan, and Mitsuru ran along their catwalk, they watched the robot land right on top of the tank. She deposited her explosives, and tore off, the blasts knocking the tank's next shots off target, blasting a hole into the ceiling. Raining bits of metal fell around Hotch and his group, cutting and banging them up, but not enough to stop them.

"Take the next left and you'll see the door into the far hallway!" cried Garcia. "Hurry! They others are having trouble with the tank!"

"Let Rise know we'll be down to help them as soon as we can," said Hotch. "Fuuka, can you hear me?"

"Yes! I've got you, Agent Hotchner. I'm scanning for a way for you to reach them. I'm having trouble reading past the next hall, though… it's as if there's nothing there at all," she said.

"He must have a really good block up. That might be our next place to unlock stuff," said Fionn, as the others joined them from a fork in the catwalks.

"Well, let's hope that's all it is. Hurry, inside!" Morgan yelled, waving them all in through an open door.

They were in another office hallway. Just through the walls, they could hear the continued rumbles and explosions of combat. However, despite many shots from the cannon hitting the wall next to where they stood, nothing pierced the metal, and so they remained safe. They took a breather, patching up their light wounds and guzzling water. Once they were ready to move on, they headed for the far end of the hall, to another unguarded door.

"I don't know what we'll find, but be ready for anything," said Hotch. "Let's go."

They stepped through the doors and came to an abrupt drop off. The path in the hall, and the walls around them, ended, as if unfinished or torn apart. All before and below them was nothing but a twisting, dark hole, which radiated pulses of purple- and black-tinted energy from a central point. Hotch hesitated, moving to the ledge, and peering closely into the hole below them. Nothing happened; a white noise of some sort filled the air around them.

"What gives?" asked Fionn. "There's nothing else?"

"Any ideas, Fuuka?" asked Hotch.

"N-No… nothing I can sense around you… maybe you should all come back for now…?" asked Fuuka.

"We can't go back… the tank must have destroyed all the catwalks by now," said J.J.

"Wait… hold on, I'm hearing… yes, they think the tank is getting defeated! Wait, what'd you say, Rise? … it's what?! Oh, Lord, um… okay, be careful and take cover!" cried Garcia, suddenly.

"What's wrong?" asked Hotch.

"They have the tank beat, but she thinks it's going to blow! We should get back inside and away from the ledge," exclaimed Garcia, running for the door.

They were too late. As the door opened, a massive eruption of pure power tore through the building, the walls and windows disintegrating before them as the whole factory seemed to go up. Blasted off their feet, Hotch and the others found themselves falling backwards, the black- and purple- energy fields absorbing them as they sank into the darkness around them.

**(_)**

Hotch awoke to the glow of computer monitors. Hundreds of them, stacked twenty feet high, surrounded him. The unmoving members of the BAU, Investigation Team, and SEES lay around them. He struggled to move his body, feeling as if he'd been drugged again, pulling himself into a crouching position. His vision, doubled at first, slowly started to smooth out. A man stood with his back to them, frantically typing away at a huge monitor on the wall.

While the man was distracted, Hotch took the time to count up everyone else who was there. Everyone in the "Raid" was there; only Fuuka, Dojima, and Nanako were missing. Most of the Investigation Team and the SEES members were still out of it; the rest of the BAU members were starting to stir. Hotch motioned for them to stay quiet as they dragged themselves closer and to the front of the group of fighters.

"… tchner… Agent H… you hear me…?" a voice echoed through Hotch's head.

"Fuuka? Is that you?" whispered Hotch.

"Oh! … goodness… hard to hear… inside the Hell… can't get…" Fuuka's voice came in and out.

"It's no good," muttered Morgan. "I can't hardly hear her."

"We must be way inside the Hell… the interference is insane," muttered Reid. "Anyone else's head spinning?"

"Mine, for sure," muttered Prentiss. "That's him, isn't it? Scrobola?"

"Yeah, I think so," said Hotch. "Try and clear your minds; we might need to be ready to fight…"

They turned themselves to get clearer views of their UnSub. Scrobola was shorter than Hotch had expected, his hairline had receded a lot more since his picture had been taken, and his neatly-trimmed beard had been replaced with a mass of tangled, patchy facial hair. They saw him illuminated as he turned between the semi-circle bank of monitors, muttering under his breath the entire time.

"… it's no use… damn! How could it fail at a time like this? This unstable fucking program… and why is that green-haired bitch trying to break in!? She can't get ahold of them; they're unconscious!" muttered Scrobola, frantically.

One of the monitors on the enormous wall behind him began to flash, the screen fuzzing over. Their UnSub swore and ran towards the machine, screaming at it and ranting about unstable operating systems, and the lies of the Gods. While he was distracted, Hotch and the other BAU members slowly pulled themselves along the floor, checking on the others.

"You all right, Naoto?" asked Hotch.

"Of course… I don't really remember what happened…" she whispered back. "The Tank Shadow went nuclear… and I felt it starting to explode…"

"I think it destroyed his Hell… I'll explain later. Have you heard Yamagishi's voice?" asked Hotch, quietly.

"Yes, faintly… I can hardly make out her words, I'm afraid," said Naoto.

"Same for us. Stay low, but be ready. If you can, get to a weapon," said Hotch, glancing to where his own borrowed weapon lay on the ground.

"Understood. I'll try and rouse the others…" whispered the girl, turning away.

Hotch slid his way back over, passing Mitsuru and Akihiko, both of whom gave him a thumbs-up signal. Reid, J.J., and Prentiss were in the center, and the latter two had managed to grab their weapons from the edge of the pile of the victims. They looked fine, but still a bit pale. Morgan was across the floor, next to Garcia, who was staring very closely at the computer.

"… cle Standing By…" came Fuuka's voice again.

"… What is this…? This power…?" muttered Scrobola. "She can't really be trying to penetrate… no, that's ridiculous, she wouldn't have the power to do that!"

The sound of dozens of computer monitors crashing to the floor came from behind them, making Hotch jump. Teddie, mortified, lay next to the stack of computers that had fallen. He'd been trying to reach Yu's sword when he'd apparently hit the stack of computers next to him. Scrobola whirled around, and his eyes grew wide upon seeing the movement of the ones before him. He hurriedly picked up a large sword from the table, pointing it at them, taking careful steps, keeping his distance.

"Steve Scrobola, I am Agent Hotchner. You are under arrest for numerous murders…" he said, trying to stand.

"I know who you are!" snapped the UnSub. "I know all about all of you, we've been over this! I know your darkest secrets and your biggest weaknesses! Why do you think I managed to outsmart you?!"

"It seems more like your Personal Hell betrayed you," said Reid. "We saw it… incomplete, or torn apart, I can't be sure… I do know that you don't have control over it. Everything seems to be spinning out of control, and things aren't making sense anymore. It's almost as if your mind is no longer fully under your control, am I correct?"

"N-No!" hissed Scrobola. "I just… I was trying to throw you all off! And you fell, quite literally, right into my trap! And now you're down here, and nobody, not that useless green haired girl out there, or anyone else can help you!"

"You don't have to worry about that," said Morgan, climbing to his feet. "We can protect ourselves… and take you in. That's just what we're going to do. Come quietly."

"Ha! You and what army? I know you've all got those cool fighting spirit things, but that's no match for my Shadows! Besides… don't you all feel very tired…? As if your bones are weak, and your muscles can hardly support your weight…?" taunted the man, stepping closer.

"Now that you mention it… I… I can't stand…" muttered Yukiko.

"Yeah… I haven't felt like this since we fought Nyx…" added Yukari.

Hotch noticed for the first time that the only ones who were even able to stand were the other field members of the BAU, Akihiko, Mitsuru, and Yu Narukami. Everyone else was struggling to even pull themselves into a sitting position; Garcia only seemed able to pull herself to her elbows. Hotch looked back at their UnSub, the sneer reaffixed to his face, and for the first time he saw Scrobola's eyes. They were dark purple, with tiny, red pupils.

"You've been consumed by Shadows entirely, haven't you?" asked Naoto. "You're not really Steve Scrobola anymore, are you?"

"You are wrong. I am the true side of Steve Scrobola," replied the UnSub. "I am his inner thoughts, his desires, and his greatest power. He and I are one in the same. I did not have to fight myself, as you all did… I actively embraced myself, and my reward was this great power, the power of a God… the one to shape this world as I saw fit!"

"Working that middle-management job must have been the truest form of Hell for you, right?" asked Prentiss, taking a few weak steps forward. "You had a little power, but it wasn't real power… it was just being shackled with responsibility for those screw-ups below you."

"And that just burned you, didn't it? Especially when other, less-deserving workers got promotions that were rightfully yours. You weren't appreciated for the genius you were," added J.J.

"What care do I have about that? Do you think I gave a damn about anyone in my department? Or in that entire Gods-forsaken office?! I worked there because it was easy! And I would never have wanted to go higher in that inefficient corporate ladder anyway," replied Scrobola. "But I know what you're doing… you're trying to stall, hoping that your power will return, so you can fight me. Well, I've got news for you, Agents! Once again, I've outsmarted you!"

"… ready! Invoking Oracle…!" came the voice of Fuuka again.

"Oracle? Is that what she said?" asked Hotch, glancing at Mitsuru and Akihiko. "What does that mean?"  
>The two shared an apprehensive look. "It can either be a very good thing, or a very bad thing…" said Mitsuru.<p>

"… and once you're gone, the rest of the world can be created and merged with the world we came from! And soon I will be the God of it as well!" continued Scrobola, taking slow steps as he continued his ranting.

"Prepare to fight…" said Hotch.

"I don't know if I can… I still barely have the energy to stand; I don't know if I can even summon Sphinx right now…" muttered Prentiss.

"I can hardly feel Raphael… whatever this guy did to us… it's bad," said Reid.

"Remember these, your final moments, where I took your lives and—!" Scrobola continued.

Alarms and buzzers began to go off, and every screen on the main wall of monitors began to flash red. Scrobola whirled around, almost dropping his behemoth sword, and strings of expletives and explanations began to pour from him again as he ran to the bank of keyboards below the monitors. The ground began to rumble, and more monitors began to spill from their piles. Scrobola turned to face his prisoners, and then looked up again.

The ceiling exploded, and a blinding ray of light crashed down, hitting the ground and exploding outward. Hotch covered his eyes, feeling the power rushing over him. As the wind blew past him, he felt his body growing lighter, his strength returning. He could feel Jupiter properly now, but the light made it impossible for him to see Scrobola or the others. It dissipated, and the wind died down. The members of SEES, the Inaba Investigation Team, Fionn, and Garcia all clambered to their feet.

"I feel a lot better! I don't know what that light was, but I'm glad it showed up when it did!" exclaimed Fionn.

"It appears Yamagishi was successful this time… thankfully," said Mitsuru, with a light chuckle.

"Um… but… his power… it's so strong now…" muttered Rise, looking at Scrobola.

Their UnSub was surveying his own body, and his mouth had broken into a grin. His purple eyes sparkled as he took a practice swing with the big sword in his hand. It cut cleanly through an unused computer monitor and the metal desk it was sitting on. The others took a few steps back from the man, whose mouth was now nothing but a sinister, black tear in his face.

"The power… I am restored… I can see it clearly… and the time for our worlds to combine has come," muttered the man, his words peppered with insane giggling.

"Can anyone hear me?!" cried Fuuka.

"We've got you, Yamagishi! Thanks for the pulse of energy," said Mitsuru.

"Unfortunately I think it helped the UnSub, too," muttered Morgan.

"We're inside what's left of the Hell! It's begun to storm outside; electrical storms, falling wires… I can sense you now; you're part of the fabric of this world! And things are changing, fast!" exclaimed Fuuka.

"So… the green haired girl broke through into my inner sanctum, huh?" asked Scrobola. "No matter… you're too late, girl. I'll kill them and you, that little girl, and her daddy are next. Now, Agents… Die for Me!"

A blast of black energy shot out of Scrobola's mouth, rising to the ceiling of the warehouse-like location they were in. It immediately began to spread, covering a huge chunk of the ceiling. Spikes began to grow out of the dark webbing. With a final, soul-shaking laugh, Scrobola sent his sword cutting through the air, and a rain of the swords began to fall from the sky. It all happened in seconds; nobody had time to react as the rain of death plummeted towards Hotch and the others. As the blades fell, Hotch was sure that Igor would be pulling him to the Velvet Room, to give him some extra advice on how to get out of the situation. It never came.

One of the monitors in a stack next to him burst to life, and another white blast of light shot out in front of him. The sound of a horse's furious scream cut through the air. The sound of metal-impacting-metal followed, as well as a scream of agony from Scrobola's direction. Hotch shielded his eyes and saw the outline of the bow-wielding hunter on the back of the horse. He sighed in relief as his eyes continued to adjust.

"Looks like I was just in time, huh?" asked Rossi, smiling and coming forward to shake Hotch's hand.

"Rossi! I've never been happier to see you. How'd you get in here?" asked Morgan.

"I just came through the computer, like we did before. This one was connected to the real factory in Centerville. I have Seaver and several other agents watching the room, just in case," said Rossi. "Are you all okay?"

"Mostly fine, just banged up from earlier fights," said Prentiss. "Wait a minute, where's Scrobola?"

Hotch followed her gaze to the enormous wall of monitors. The long, black knives that had just tried to run them trhough were everywhere, scattered along or stuck into the floor, through the screens of different computers, or on the keys. An indent in the console showed them where Scrobola had slammed into it, and the blood trail led to a computer a few feet over from where Rossi had come in. The sword was also gone, but so was their UnSub.

"He went through there, I'm sure of it," said Naoto. "He must have the ability to go in and out! And now that he's back at full power..."

"What's going on? Are you all okay?" asked Fuuka.

"Did someone just go missing, Fuuka? Another sense of power, the man who was down here with us?" asked Akihiko.

"I don't sense him anymore, if that's what you're asking! I'll scan around the rest of this world as best as I can… I'm sorry if I caused trouble!" exclaimed Fuuka.

"Don't worry, Fuuka," said Hotch. "Without you, we wouldn't have had the strength to fight him at all. At least now we're on an even playing field. Keep your scanner tuned as high as you can; let us know if you catch _anything_ out of the ordinary."

"We have to go after him. We know which computer he went out of, obviously. So we just follow him, catch him, and bring him in," said Yosuke.

"But these computers, they can be anywhere in the world! If he goes through, won't he just stay out?" asked Kanji.

"No. He won't abandon this place; this is his world. It's all he's got left. Garcia, can you track his movements?" asked Hotch.

"Actually, I have a better idea," said Garcia. "Let me get in contact with Kevin. He'll do the tracking and I'll work on shutting down his gateways. That way, we can trap him on this side and he can't disappear in Uzbekisatn or Nauru."

"Wow! Garcia, you can really do that?" asked Reid.

"Won't know until I try! But I'm sure Nike can fuse with this system and I can figure it out. It'll be like being part of the computer system itself… I never thought I'd ever have an opportunity like this," said Garcia. "Here I go!"  
>She summoned Nike, whose wiry hair flew out and inserted itself into the console bank. Screens began to flash to life, texts and images scrolling so fast that Hotch couldn't even watch. While she ran her tests, the others gathered to talk strategy. Rossi also brought them up to date on the goings-on back in their world.<p>

"I still haven't seen Strauss, so we're safe on that front," said Rossi. "Getting to Centerville was a nightmare. I've never once been on such a turbulent flight; the FAA has shut down a lot of air space because of the unprecedented weather."

"Well, at least you made it. What did you do to him, anyway?" asked J.J.

"Krotos spoke to me, and said I should let him handle it. I do not know what those falling knives were… but he was able to reflect them. He's ready for a fight, and so am I," said Rossi.

"Guys, I'm in!" cried Garcia.

On one of the monitors, they saw a video feed into the BAU pop up. The bespectacled face of Kevin Lynch peered down at them, his mouth hanging open.

"I can't believe it… the graphics are so life-like; it's so real!" he exclaimed.

"Sorry to disappoint you, my love, but this is real life. We're inside your c0omputer. It's a long story, so let's just skip the chitchat and work on finding that bad guy, hm?" said Garcia.

"You're what?! I just… wow… this is too weird. With everything that's been happening around here… oh! Yes, of course, sorry. Okay, so… let me search for his links… the number you gave me just referenced a computer in Centerville, Mississipi—Hey! That's where Agent Rossi went, I wonder if he's—," began Kevin, talking over his frantic typing.

"I'm here too, Kevin. Good to see you again," said Rossi, smiling and waving to the boy.

"I… uh… oh wow. Okay. Um… yeah, I… checking the network, it looks like there's a little over 300 computers at that location," said Kevin.

"That's a lot of computers. We need to go after him, now," said Morgan.

"300's a lot? How many do you think are in here? There must be hundreds of thousands!" exclaimed Prentiss.

"We do know for sure he went through that computer over there, right?" asked Hotch.

"Yes, that much I'm certain of," said Garcia. "Maybe Seaver or the other FBI agents got him?"

"Only one way to find out. Let's go after him," said Prentiss.

"All of us?" asked Yukiko. "Or should some of us stay behind?"

"We'll be going into America, so anyone who speaks exclusively Japanese should stay behind," said Reid. "In case we get separated, you might run into trouble."

"Anyone not pursuing Scrobola should fan out and carefully watch this area," said Mitsuru. "Make sure nobody else is around, and track Scrobola if he returns to this place."

"I'll take charge of everyone back here," said Yu. "Go after him!"

Hotch nodded and led his team towards the computer Scrobola had disappeared through. The entire BAU, minus Garcia, joined him, as did Akihiko, Mitsuru, Naoto, and Fionn. The computer absorbed them as they approached, and for a few minutes all they felt was the encircling, white light that took them through space and time until they stepped out of the computer, landing in the midst of a darkened office.

The wind and rain rattled the windows of the room, but the inside looked just the same as if a storm had blown through it. Tables and chairs were splintered and scattered, cabinets had been knocked over, and every computer besides the one they'd come through was in pieces on the floor. In the doorway, four bodies lay on the ground: FBI agents. Prentiss and Rossi ran to check on them as the others held up their game weapons, looking around to try and find him.

"How are they?" asked Hotch.

"They're unconscious, and a couple of them have burns," said Prentiss. "I don't see Seaver here, though."

A gunshot rang out through the office, making everyone jump. Three more quick shots followed. At once, the BAU members and their companions were out of the office, rushing down a narrow hallway. Hotch caught sight of the trail of dark liquid, and they followed it down the stairs and into the lower, much-wider hallway. Halfway down they found Agent Seaver, laying against the wall with a grimace of intense pain on her face.

"Ashley!" cried Rossi, kneeling next to her. "Are you all right? What happened?"  
>"I'm good, just a little banged up and winded," said Agent Seaver. "He… the UnSub, Scrobola… he came flying out of the computer and surprised us…"<p>

"Did you get a chance to see what he looked like?" asked J.J.

"Yes, actually… he… he had purple eyes, with red pupils…" muttered Agent Seaver. "But he had some sort of… bomb or something… I was over searching through files, but when he came out, there was this explosion of fire, and it took out the others I was with…"

"Wait… you don't think he used his abilities over here, do you?" asked Prentiss.

"It seems like that might be true… did you see anything else strange about him?" asked Reid. "Did he have anything… with him? Or growing out of him…?"

"I… well, now that you mention it, besides the eyes, he… appeared to be trailing some sort of dark smoke or vapor off of him. I got a few rounds into him, but I couldn't keep up," said Seaver. "I know I hit him… there's a trail of blood all down there."

"You did a great job. We'll get paramedics here for you as soon as possible. Just hang tight, okay?" said Hotch.

"Thanks… I'll be fine; go get him before he escapes again!" said Seaver, pulling herself into a sitting position behind a stack of crates.

"Let's go," said Morgan, moving quickly-but-carefully down the hallway.

They followed the blood trail into another room. One computer glowed white, and Scrobola was nowhere to be found. The BAU members hurried to the computer, and it wasn't long before they were finding themselves landing back in the same warehouse-area they'd been in before the trip to the actual factory.

"You're back! Did you get him?" asked Garcia, suddenly.

"No, he's still running. We can't really see him; can you sense him?" asked Hotch.

"Agent Hotchner! It's Fuuka. From what I can tell, he's just to your left! He's trying to access another computer!" came the frantic cry.

"I've got people enroute to you," said Rise. "Don't let him get away!"

"Go!" cried Hotch.

They ran, following Fuuka's directions. The lights above them sprang to life, bathing the entire row in lights. All around them, towers of computers and servers formed walls of the dungeon, leading them down a straight path. The ceiling was incredibly high; the whole facility had to have been the size of two aircraft hangars. As they ran, Garcia kept up a stream of information she was gaining from Kevin, including her progress on shutting things down.

"Those computers you guys already used are done; I've blocked them and severed their connection. I'm doing it with everything I can; it's not actually that hard to figure out now that I'm actually part of the computer," she said. "It feels really weird… the information flowing through Nike, and me by extension, it's exhilarating and a little ticklish at the same time…"

"There he is!" cried Reid.

They saw him just as he disappeared into the computer. Further down the row, they saw some of their allies turn the corner, running towards his location. Fuuka confirmed that his energy was gone, and that he was out of the world again. Back through the computer, the BAU found themselves in the factory offices again, but the next computer Scrobola had escaped through was right in front of them. Hotch's head began to spin as they kept up the chase, following him in and out of computers that linked mostly to his office, but also to random private residences now and again.

"I've got about 40% of the computers in and out of here shut down now," said Garcia, after they came back into the computer world for the eighth time. "And… wait a minute… he's going to one that doesn't have a match!"

"Come again?" asked Hotch.

"The computer he's accessing now… Kevin just said he's not showing another one connected to the network on that property! If he goes through there, we've got him!" cried Garcia.

"Do you know where it is?" asked Fionn.

"Yes. It's just outside Centerville, Mississippi. It might be… yeah! Kevin just confirmed; it's his home address! We've got him!" cried Garcia.

"If he's abandoning his world, he's abandoning his own life. We need to be ready for him to fight," said Hotch.

"Especially if what Agent Seaver said is true, and he's able to use his powers on our side," said J.J.

"She was remarkably calm throughout that whole… ordeal," said Prentiss. "Pretty amazing, actually."

"I explained everything that was happening, so she's fully in the loop," said Rossi. "Granted, she's skeptical, as we were, but now I think she understand what's happening. Garcia, have Kevin contact the authorities in Mississippi and make sure she's doing okay, won't you?"

"We're on it. I'll try and find some way to monitor you from this side. Rise and Fuuka are sending everyone else to the computer you're going through now, just in case he tries to come back through. Stay safe, my lovelies!" exclaimed Garcia.

They found the computer Scrobola had been using. The trail of blood had started to try up, and by the time they went through the computer, it was practically gone. They emerged in the dirty "office" of a small home, one that was also being ravaged by a fierce thunderstorm. Several of the windows had holes in them, and the howling wind sent papers and curtains fluttering around the room. They cleared the bottom floor and began to move through the rest of the home.

Hotch could feel Jupiter's energy brimming inside of him as he made his way up the stairs. The old floorboards throughout the house creaked with their movement, and similar noises could be heard upstairs. One-by-one, they positioned themselves outside a small, wooden door that lead into a bedroom. Hotch nodded at Morgan, who kicked the door off its hinges with such ferocity that the door splintered and came right out of the door frame, clattering to the floor.

"Steve Scrobola! You are under arrest!" shouted Hotch. "Put your hands in the air; turn and face me!"

They had entered Scrobola's bedroom. A large computer system sat on a cheap, spindly desk that was layered with old snack wrappers, empty bowls, and old soda cans. His bed was covered in discarded clothes. Posters of various game and cartoon characters adorned his walls.

Scrobola smirked at them, standing next to the large monitor in front of them. He gave them a slow, sarcastic clap, not even flinching at the weapons they held out. Hotch recognized the vague ridiculousness of the scene, seeing as the only two with any sort of projectile weapons were Naoto, Rossi, and Fionn, the latter of which only had a bow and arrow. Despite this, he made no effort to put his hands up. He merely continued his chuckle, his purple-and-red eyes leering at them.

"Didn't you hear us? Hands on your head! Now!" snarled Morgan.

"Forgive me, but why would I give in to you now? What is a mob of humans to a God?" said Scrobola.

"That's not now the quote goes… but regardless, you've run out of places to go. You don't have a connection back to the computer world. It's over. Come quietly and answer for your crimes," said Reid.

Scrobola laughed. "You are mistaken, just like that pretty little computer lady who found me. Haven't you ever wondered how I got the computer world in the first place? It's _my_ world, _my_ reality. I created it. I control it! I, and I alone, can enter wherever I want… with just the click of a button."

He pressed the button on the monitor of the computer. It came to life with the same flickering, white screen that they'd seen numerous times before. His laugh continued as he pressed the enter key. The light from the monitor began to engulf him, until only his smirking face and glowing eyes remained. Without a word, Hotch lunged at the man, the rest following, as they flew into the computer once more.

They emerged in a very different location. They were on a translucent platform on the top of a massive tower. They could barely make out the ground below them; the visibility of the world itself seemed to have increased dramatically. The wires in the sky rose up and around them, linking directly into the sky and spreading out in every direction. The sky itself shimmered and flickered with electricity, the sounds of distant thunder rolling across it.

Scrobola hovered in front of them, six feet off the ground. He kept his back to them, surveying the sky of "his" world, muttering under his breath. He ignored every word the BAU members said to him, until finally he turned to face them. When he smiled, his mouth changed. It was no longer human; it was, like his pupils, nothing more than a tear in his darkened face, a thin slit of red, pulsating energy.

"My power… has finally reached its Pinnacle," he said. "Soon, the Merge will occur, and I shall take my place over the New World as its leader. Nyx's Embrace shall overtake everything… and not one of you will live to see this grand, new era!"

"He's gone totally insane," said Akihiko. "I don't think there's anything left inside of him that isn't Shadow…"

"I agree," said Naoto. "This is similar to what we experienced with Tohru Adachi. I fear our only choice is to fight him."

"Wait!" came Garcia's voice. "Can you hear me? I'm trying something… stall him for a minute, if you can, and I should have a neat trick for you!"

"I don't understand fully… how did you get the power to create this place, this so-called power of a God?" asked Hotch.

"The Gods came to _me_, of course," replied Scrobola, turning fully to face them. "They claimed to have contacted me in my dreams, impressed by my obviously superior intellect and spirituality. So… they granted me the power to create the world."

"So you were just like Narukami-senpai…" muttered Naoto. "This God… was he, or she, a white-haired, red-eyed person?"

"I know not what he or she looked like… I just know I was granted their power, and I intend to use it to fulfill the wishes of humanity," said the man.

"The wishes of humanity are to end one world and merge under a tyrannical power like you? I find that hard to believe," said J.J.

"We live in a world that makes no sense. The days of 'survival of the fittest' are long since obsolete. Survival is all about knowledge, and knowing how to beat the system! The world I create will reward those, like I, who have the brains to manage an entire world!" said Scrobola.

"And when you said 'merge' earlier… you spoke of… our world? What does that mean, exactly?" asked Fionn.

"The storm will soon break," said Scrobola, staring at the sky. "And once it does, the worlds will begin to merge. My Shadows will rise up and consume humanity! Once that's done, it'll be time to remake it in my image… my followers will be rewarded… and the wicked shall be purged. … and it would appear that we have guests."

A small tear in the air opened up to the right of the others, causing a small clap of thunder. A distorted orb of light appeared there, a doorway that looked back into the original warehouse they'd begun the chase for Scrobola from. One-by-one, their remaining fighters came through, until the entire Iwatodai and Inaba groups were present. Even Fuuka, Dojima, and Nanako were there. Garcia, floating above them all with Nike, beamed.

"Turns out you can hack right into this world. The power of a God, he said… and here I am, just tearing wormholes through the whole thing. Sorry about it," said Garcia, giggling.

"That's my girl," said Morgan, appreciatively. "You're the only Goddess I see in this world."

"You're too kind. Now, meanwhile… Scrobola, you're finished!" cried Garcia. "Please, just surrender!"

"He can't hear you anymore. He's all Shadow now," said Mitsuru.

"It's just like Adachi, then. I guess that means we'll have to kick his ass!" roared Kanji, cracking his knuckles.

"Clever… very clever…" muttered Scrobola, the sickening grin returning to his face. "But a futile effort. The time has come for the worlds to merge, and the Shadows to rise…!"  
>He gazed skyward again. The lightning began to get more and more intense, and other lights began to ripple out and around the world in a dazzling aurora. To their horror, tears like the ones Garcia had just created began to appear. The clouds began to mix, as darkened storm clouds started to leak in through the holes, intermixing with the shimmering white ones above them.<p>

"No! That's… that's Earth! That's your world!" cried Teddie. "I can tell that smell anywhere!"

"We've got to stop him! We can't afford to let the worlds merge!" cried Yukiko.

"There's another problem," said Fuuka. "Shadows… hundreds of them… they're coming from below! It's like Tartarus all over again!"

"Our main objective is preserving our world. We can't let Shadows enter it," said Mitsuru. "We've got to block their access to it."

"I should be able to close the rifts, but if this movement continues… wait a minute… it's him! Scrobola is controlling the movements of the worlds!" cried Garcia.

"So we stop him, we stop the merging. It's not gonna be easy, but we have no choice," said Prentiss.

"Why struggle? Accept your fate! It will be easier than watching your loved ones be consumed by Shadows!" cried Scrobola.

The thought of Jack being taken by the horrid creatures pushed Hotch over the edge. "Enough! We will stop you, Scrobola, and if that means we have to destroy you, so be it. Come forth, Jupiter!"

The Persona erupted into existence, already shooting a bolt of lightning at the enemy. Scrobola took the hit in stride, flinging backwards and shaking his head. With another smirk, he sent a blast of ice back towards Hotch. Before he could react, Sphinx was diving in front of Jupiter, absorbing the ice attack.

"Thanks, Prentiss," said Hotch.

"No problem! That really helped… I feel great! Let's take it to him," cheered the woman.

"Nike and I will try and shut those portals," said Garcia. "Fuuka will take radar and Rise will do enemy scans."

"This is our last chance to stop him. We'll have to take it!" cried Rise.

"Hold nothing back! Krotos… go!" shouted Rossi, raising his hand above his head.

The horse-riding hunter charged out of the shattered pieces of his psyche, firing directly into the air. A single arrow appeared in the sky above Scrobola, striking him hard and knocking him to the ground, dazing him.

"Here's our chance for an All-Out Attack!" exclaimed Yukari.

"Let me at him!" shouted J.J.

Twenty Personas let loose on Scrobola, their combined attacks and strikes sending up a huge cloud of absolute death on the Shadow man. However, he withstood it, and knocked them all back with a blast of power of his own. He rose higher into the air, channeling his energy around him. Multi-colored lights exploded around him.

"Agility, Attack, and Defense up!" cried Rise. "Scanning for weaknesses… no weaknesses, he resists Dark and Light attacks!"

"So much for the easy answer, then," said Reid. "Hotch, I'm going to move over to help fight the rising Shadows; Raphael's skills are more useful there."

"Same for me, Aaron. Scream if you need us," he said.

Spread out along the massive tower's platform, half of the group took aim at the Shadows rising for the distance. Around the edges of the platform, howling gales, blazing fires, cracks of thunder, and shattering ice decimated the smaller Shadows, while others channeled energy to slow and disable the larger ones. Fuuka kept up a stream of information about where the most dangerous ones or larger groups were coming from, but they soon began to grow overwhelmed.

For Hotch and the others fighting Scrobola, they got a small reprieve. Between moving the earth and trying to hold off their attacks, he was too focused on his main attackers to pay much attention to the ones taking out the rising Shadows. Hotch's next strike from Jupiter was dodged, but Morgan had Tyr take advantage of Hotch's attack to hit him in the back with a Brave Blade attack. J.J. blasted him back with air where Akihiko was waiting with Caesar to deliver a devastating punch attack.

"Nice hit, Akihiko! Keep it up, guys!" cried Rise.

Koromaru and Teddie let out matching howls, channeling blasts of fire and ice, respectively, which both hit their target. Kanji, wielding a large shield-like hunk of metal, got a boost from his Persona, slamming Scrobola directly in the face. The Shadow let out a snarl, rearing back and hitting Kanji so hard that he crashed into and dented the floor below them.

"Be careful, Kanji!" cried Rise. "He's hurt."

"On it already," said J.J., calling out Angerona. "We need to be more cautious."

"S-Sorry 'bout that," said Kanji, climbing to his feet. "He caught me off guard."

"Duck!" shouted Yosuke, suddenly.

Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in attacks, Scrobola launched a massive strike of ice at everyone. Jupiter and Tyr both took strong hits, the pain doubling both Hotch and Morgan over. Teddie growled in frustration, and his Persona Kamui hovered around them, healing the damage caused by Scrobola's attack. Hotch immediately fired back with a bolt of lightning, which Scrobola took in stride. The Shadow shook his head and rose even higher into the sky, holding his right hand above his head.

"Enough of this. You're as tenacious as cockroaches. I won't be destroyed by you whelps!" he shouted.

The Shadows who had been rising towards the rifts in the sky abruptly changed direction, heading around towards Scrobola's outstretched hand. As they got closer, they began to dissipate into tiny, black orbs, encircling Scrobola and forming a large sphere on his hand that slowly began to engulf him entirely.

"Wait… hold your attacks, guys," said Rise. "I'm not sure what he's doing… but he's gathering a lot of energy…"

"Garcia, any idea what's happening?" asked Reid, as Raphael used a Deathbound attack to end a group of six smaller cross-shaped Shadows.

"No… he's breaking them down to their basic energy components, but I can't say why," said Garcia.

"I agree with Kujikawa," said Fuuka. "Everyone, hold your attacks until we can get more information."

"I don't like this," said Morgan. "This might be a chance for us to attack him and end this once and for all."

"We thought that when we fought Nyx on the roof of Tartarus," said Akihiko. "But when that happened, our attacks were reflected right back into us. We almost died."

"In that case, strengthen your resolves. If you have a stat-boosting attack, now would be the time to use it," said Garcia.

Jupiter surrounded Hotch and the others with the bluish translucent shield, while Angerona, Krotos, and Tyr focused on giving as much power to the ones around them as they could manage. Reid surrounded several of them with the reddish translucent shield, while the ones along the edge of the platform continued to alternate between taking out Shadows and buffing themselves. They watched Scrobola closely as the black orb of Shadow power grew, engulfing him almost the whole way around. Finally, he let out a loud cackle.

"This power…! This is the power of your sorrow! Now, die!" he roared.

Scrobola and the black orb crashed down into the platform, and the released energy knocked Hotch right off his feet. He landed flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him, and his head spinning. He stood slowly, his mind swimming, and the sound around him distorted. Almost everyone else was on the ground, and only a few others had made it back to their feet.

"What… what was that?" asked Hotch, gingerly touching the parts of his back and elbows that had gotten scraped up.

"It was… awful, whatever it was..." muttered Garcia. "You've all been weakened… and… and his resistances have skyrocketed. I'm showing him resisting everything."

"What…? How can that… be…?" muttered J.J., her teeth chattering. "A-and why do I feel so… anxious…?"

"That attack affects your minds!" exclaimed Rise. "Agent Prentiss, can Sphinx fix them?"

"Yeah, I think so… hold on…!" said Prentiss, calling her out.

Her Persona sent a light wave over everyone on the field. Hotch's mind cleared, J.J.'s teeth quit chattering, and everyone else around the field seemed a little less worse-for-the-wear. However, every step Hotch took, he felt the whole platform wobble. He looked down and saw the massive cracks running throughout the translucent covering.

"Garcia… have we lost structural integrity?" asked Hotch.

"I… uh… was hoping to keep that one quiet," said Garcia. "But… the floor can't take another hit like that. But with that much power released, he's going to have some time to recoup before he can do it again. So… hurry!"

Hotch didn't need telling twice. He led the charge with Jupiter's bolts of lightning and furious punches, but the damage seemed to glance right off of him. Even after Sphinx and Unicorn attempted to weaken him, most of their attacks did minimal damage, and the addled Scrobola was able to block or deflect half of their strikes and attacks. Meanwhile, the Shadows had begun to rise again, and many were making it towards the now-crackling sky. The support girls groaned in frustration.

"We're losing ground… the Shadows are getting to close to the sky. It's only getting worse," said Fuuka.

"Not to mention he's still able to shrug our attacks off, regardless of what we do," said Reid. "There must be a strategy we're missing…"

"What about if we… I dunno, break one of his resistences?" suggested Kanji.

"… that's brilliant, Kanji. Great idea," said Yu, smiling.

"Y-ya think so? I know Rokuten Maoh can do it… can't you find someone, Senpai?" asked Kanji.

"Yeah… Agent Hotchner, you can hit him with a really strong Electric attack, right?" asked Yu.

"Yes. If this doesn't work, we'll try something else. For now… let's put that plan into action," said Hotch.

"You're… too late… your deaths… are imminent…" muttered Scrobola.

He raised his hands again and began to gather the energy. The amount of Shadows around the tower had more than tripled, so the black orbs began to form almost immediately. With a strangled cry of horror, the others began to launch attacks at Scrobola. To their dismay, the attacks all rebounded on them. Thanks to the earlier-set shields by Jupiter and Raphael, however, the damage was nullified.

"What do we do now?!" cried Yosuke. "We can't stop him!"

"He'll go straight through the floor this time, and take us with him…" said Prentiss.

"I have one last idea… go after the Shadows. Don't attack Scrobola; get the Shadows before they start molting. Go!" cried Garcia.

Every single Persona-user on the roof threw their entire souls into the last attacks, minus Hotch, Kanji, and Yu, who began to strengthen each other and channel their power. Hotch watched his fellow BAU members as they worked. Tyr and Raphael cut their way through the swaths of Shadows in their way, while Sphinx did what she could to confuse enemies into wandering out of the line to encase them in ice, before rearing up and shattering the ice, and with it the Shadows. Angerona, channeled by a very-focused J.J., set Shadow after Shadow off course with massive blasts of wind. Krotos galloped through the sky as Rossi sent his Persona cutting through the thickest concentrations of Personas, using his Mamudoon skills to end the ones who weren't resistant to Dark attacks and hitting with swaths of arrows when that failed to work.

"What's your idea, Garcia?' asked Hotch, after another round of buffing from Kanji and Yu.

"To perform that attack, he has to gather a lot of energy, because he also has to sustain the attack," said Garcia. "If we can interrupt enough of it, he might lose control of the attack and damage himself, rather than us. It's a long shot, but that's literally our last hope for victory."

"Agent Hotchner, we should prepare ourselves to strike, just in case this doesn't work," said Yu.

"I agree. Jupiter… everything we've got!" cried Hotch.

He felt Jupiter's power surge throughout his body, so strong and pulsating that he could barely contain the energy inside his body. The bluish electricity erupted around him as Jupiter focused directly above him, grabbing a lightning bolt and holding it at the ready. Hotch waited on bated breath, watching as his teammates fought the stream of Shadows, hoping that their efforts would be enough to sabotage Scrobola's power. The man was in a trance, the Shadow energy obscuring most of his face.

And then it broke. The power dissipated, and Scrobola fell to the ground with a strangled yell. Yu and Kanji were ready, and the two set their Personas out to channel the bluish-orbs into the flailing Shadow man. He could see the power drain from Scrobola, as Garcia gleefully told him that his resistances were temporarily gone and lightning would work exceptionally well if he took the shot.

"It's all you, Hotch! Take him out!" roared Morgan.

"THUNDER REIGN!" snarled Hotch, releasing every ounce of pent up energy from himself and Jupiter.

Jupiter hurtled the bolt into the sky, disappearing amongst the shimmering lights from the rifts and the storms on the other side. There was a moment's pause, and then a streaking, thin bolt of lightning crashed down onto Scrobola. A circle of power erupted around it, and a final cataclysmic outburst utterly destroyed the Shadow man, whose cries of agony were lost in the sound of the wind blowing past them all as part of the fallout from Hotch's attack. Once the dust cleared, Hotch saw that the floor's cracks had grown more pronounced, but they weren't fully destroyed yet. As for Scrobola, all traces of Shadow energy were gone. He lay on the ground, bleeding into the cracks that crisscrossed the platform.

"It's over. We got him," said Hotch, falling to his knees as exhaustion overtook him.

A cheer rose up, but the exhaustion that followed quickly quieted them. There was also the matter of dealing with Scrobola, whose blood loss was great. The restoring power from the Personas could only do so much; they finally saw that Seaver's bullets had done a fair bit of damage. Whether the Shadow energy was keeping him together or not, they weren't sure, but it didn't look like he would make it very long if they didn't get him out of there immediately.

"Where should we take him? We don't have a lot of medical facilities in Inaba…" said Yukiko.

"We couldn't take him there anyway," said Reid. "How would we be able to explain his presence in Japan? Extradition might be a nightmare, too, and if he does die, we're going to have a lot more difficult questions to answer."

"Heh… yeah, how is any of this going to be explained?" asked Morgan.

"Hi, um, I don't mean to interrupt this happy moment of victory celebrations, but our rifts have started repairing themselves. So that's good, but… um… I think some Shadows got into our world," said Garcia.

"Yes, regrettably I noticed the same thing," said Fuuka. "This may cause some troubles…"

"Well, we'll just have to figure that out later. One thing at a time," said Hotch. "Let's get Scrobola back to Mississippi. Dave, you can stay in Mississippi with him until he's taken care of. Do you mind staying there?"

"Not at all. I'm not a big fan of 18-hour flights, and the airport is going to be a nightmare. I'll take care of him," said Rossi.

"Excellent. Garcia, can you get us back to the warehouse?" asked Hotch.

"Yeah, no problem," said Garcia. "Let's hurry."

Hotch, Akihiko, and Morgan carried the wounded man through the strange wormhole thing and into the computer that led back into the main offices in Mississippi. Once there, Hotch waited while Rossi paged for back-up and paramedics, stating that he'd found the UnSub and the man was wounded. Morgan and Akihiko went back into the computer, and Hotch stopped to talk to Rossi.

"Well… I owe you a lot of thanks, but we should save that for after we've explained this to Strauss," said Hotch.

"I don't know which will frustrate her more… the fact that your trip actually solved this case, or the explanation we're going to have to give her to placate her," said Rossi, with a chuckle.

On the floor by the door, Scrobola began to cough. Rossi and Dave whirled around and went to kneel next to him. The man opened his eyes—now returned to their normal white-and-brown—and fixed them with a surprisingly smug stare.

"You really beat me… amazing… looks like I'm just as shit a God as I am at everything else," he whispered.

"No arguments here, son," said Rossi. "That's how it is: the will of humanity is to survive, not perish."

"Says you. But it doesn't matter how much you fight… there's always more darkness waiting to end humanity… and I guarantee you that it will," said Scrobola. "Shame I wasn't the one to do it."

"It didn't work for you, or the ones who contacted Yu Narukami and the members of SEES. Seems there's a bad track record for success from those so-called Gods," said Hotch.

"Of course… but there are an awful lot of Gods in this world, Agent Hotchner. What makes you think Izanani, Ame-no-Sagiri, Nyx, or Erebus are the only threats to humanity?" asked Scrobola, a thin line of blood coming from his mouth.

Hotch felt a shiver run down his spine. "Send every God you have. Humanity will continue to fight to exist. That's what we do. And that's what you're going to be doing for the next few days, so save your strength for healing and your court dates, rather than sprouting bullshit at me and my colleague."

Scrobola's eyes widened for a moment and then they slid closed as the man fell into unconsciousness. The sound of someone calling for Agent Rossi reached their ears, and Hotch hopped up and headed for the computer. Just before he entered, he turned to smile at Rossi, giving him a cheerful wave, to which the older man chuckled and returned the salute. Hotch rode the white light back to the warehouse, where Garcia was waiting to cut the connection. For good measure, Akihiko punched the computer clean through, and Yukiko set it on fire.

"You've all done admirably. All of us at the BAU are in your debt," said Hotch. "There will be time for goodbyes tomorrow. For now… let's return to Inaba."

"About time. I am absolutely starving," said Chie.

"And I desperately need to pee," muttered Yosuke.

"Agent Hotchner… I don't know how to tell you this, but since I won't be able to actually understand you once we're out of here… thank you. For everything," said Dojima, shaking his hand.

"Yes, thank you so much!" said Nanako. "I'm happy I was able to help everyone fight."

"It was an honor to fight alongside you both," said Hotch.

"Hey, Nanako-chan, can you show me how to make those cute little cakes you told me about when we get to your house?" asked Garcia, kneeling down next to her.

"Sure thing!" she said, walking away holding her and Yu's hands.

Dojima nodded at Hotch again, following his family and Garcia out to a computer Garcia had hooked up to Yasogami High. One-by-one, everyone took a step through the computer. The BAU members all hesitated before deciding to go through.

"Some case, huh?" said J.J., simply.

"Understatement of the millennium," said Prentiss.

"This opens up so many fascinating doors… I've got a lot of reading to do before we get back to Quantico," said Reid.

"I can't think of anything further from my mind," said Morgan. "Hotch, I'm taking my vacation the instant we're done debriefing from this. I need a break."

"Same here!" exclaimed Garcia. "In fact… I might start my own Guild on Divinity and see if any of my new skills from here can be programmed in."

"If you fall into the computer, Garcia, I can't promise that Strauss will allow us to come and rescue you," said Hotch, smiling. "So visit your Hells at your own risk."

They began to climb through the portal back to Inaba. Just as Hotch went through, the familiar whiteness was replaced with another familiar sensation and color: blue. The Velvet Room rematerialized in front of him, Igor's long-nosed, smiling frame hunched over the table as the plane continued to fly through the azure, sparkling sky outside the windows.

"I was wondering when I'd get the chance to see you again, Igor," said Hotch, turning to smile at the man.

"It's a pleasure to see you. It would appear you have been successful. Our flight has smoothed out considerably," said the short man.

"Yes. Steve Scrobola is in protective custody and on his way to a hospital by now, I'm sure. For now, we are going to play it by ear. If he survives, he'll have a lot of explaining to do and difficult questions to answer. If he dies… we get the honors of explaining and answering," said Hotch.

"In some ways, it is as if the easiest part of your journey may be ending. The truly hard part may not yet have begun," said Igor.

"I desperately hope not. I do have question for you, however: during our battle, a rift opened up, and there's a chance some Shadows escaped into our world. Do you think that poses a risk?" asked Hotch.

"Wouldn't you already say your world is a place of many dangers? The Shadows merely add one more to that extensive list," said Igor. "Besides… you have all the tools you need to fight back against them. Not to mention a lot of allies."

"You're correct," said Hotch. "One way or another… things are going to get even more complicated and interesting from here on out."

A curtain towards the front section of the plane parted, and a young woman clad in a blue uniform with buttons down the front of her chest bowed her head to the two gentlemen. "We shall be arriving shortly. Please prepare for landing."

"Very well. It appears that our time is just about up, Agent Hotchner. It has truly been an honor to have you as one of our guests. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors," said Igor, extending his slender, gloved hand for one final handshake.

"Absolutely. I hope that we meet again someday," said Hotch, returning the shake.

"I would never rule that out," said Igor, smiling. Hotch's vision began to white out, and the last thing he saw was the old man's smile and the blonde-haired flight attendant waving to him as he returned to the white tunnel that took him back to the real world and all of the new challenges it was about to bring.

**Author's Note:**

**One more chapter to go. Thank you for reading!**


	19. Chapter 19: Departure

**Author's Note:**

**And here it is: the final chapter of this story. Thank you all for your patience in letting me get it together long enough to finish this one out. What started out as a crazy, probably late-night or alcohol-fueled idea turned into a 100,000 word saga. I hope you enjoy the final installment of Persona 6: Mind Net. And I hope you're as excited about Persona 5 coming out next year as I am. Thank you again; now enjoy!**

Chapter Nineteen: Departure

The sun shone brightly in Inaba on the morning of the BAU's departure. Though still bruised and fatigued from the battle inside the internet, almost everyone was in high spirits as they spent a relaxing morning at the Amagi Inn. Hotch had received a call from Strauss in the early hours, but he'd managed to hold off most of her questions for when they got back. With Rossi reporting the UnSub in custody and in surgery, some of the heat was taken of the members based in Japan, and Hotch knew he'd owe his colleague several bottles of wine to make up for all the abuse his boss was certainly putting him through.

"What time are you all leaving?" asked Naoto, while several waitresses removed their empty breakfast plates.

"I've got to take the first train to get back to Narita," said Fionn. "Irene called me earlier and said the company was planning to ferry in extra aircraft from Seoul and Nanjing so we can get some of our stranded passengers out of here; they might need multiple crews."

"The aviation industry must be a hot mess right now," said Garcia. "And are you okay to fly after you got knocked around yesterday?"

"I'll be fine," said Fionn, grinning. "I'll just ask for first rest; I'm sure someone will trade with me."

"I'll escort him," said Mitsuru, standing up. "I need to return to the Kirijo group and inform them of the developments with the internet world, as well as start figuring out what to do about those escaped Shadows."

"Very well. Thank you both for your assistance in this matter," said Hotch. "You've done us a great service; we will find some way to repay you."

"Thank you! I hope I'm working your flight back," said Fionn. "Garcia, we should play games again if the Wi-Fi works."  
>"Agreed… but I think I'm all Divinity-ed out for a little while," said Garcia. "I suggest Words With Friends instead."<p>

"Agreed," said Fionn, smirking. "Best wishes to you all."

Fionn and Mitsuru left shortly thereafter, along with most of the other SEES members. Akihiko left after breakfast to get a morning run in, leaving the BAU members to chat freely with the English-speaking Inaba residents. Hotch checked his watch and reminded them all that they were free to spend the rest of the morning and afternoon as they saw fit, but they had to take the 3:00 train back to Tokyo in time to catch the last flight back to the USA.

"I've been meaning to ask… would it not save you a lot of time and effort to take the computer world back to the United States?" asked Yukiko. "Since Miss Garcia can manipulate the world at will?"

"I thought about that, but I think I'd rather have the chance to detox. Also, the agency will be footing the bill, as Strauss agreed to before we departed," said Hotch, his lips twitching into a slight smile. "We may as well get our money's worth."

"No arguments here," said Prentiss. "Thanks for watching out for us, Hotch."

Before leaving the Amagi Inn, Hotch asked Garcia and Naoto to meet him down on the Samegawa Flood Plain around 1 PM. Garcia, who being taken on a small tour of the town by the girls and Teddie, gave him an understanding nod and smile before she grabbed Morgan by the arm and practically dragged him out of the building. Reid, meanwhile, accepted Naoto's offer to show him some of the local historic landmarks, and both Prentiss and J.J. headed for the hot springs for a relaxing soak.

"What are you going to do, Agent Hotchner?" asked Yu Narukami.

"I don't have any plans at the moment," said Hotch. "I called to check on my son earlier, so I was going to kill time until we depart. I do have one more important thing to attend to, though. Could you have your uncle meet me on the Flood Plain in a few hours?"

"Absolutely. Can I ask what for?" asked Yu.

"Police business. Classified," said Hotch. "I'll have Naoto translate."

"I understand. I'll tell him to meet you," said Yu, following Yosuke, Kanji, and the mini-tour-group out the front doors.

Hotch returned to his room, packing his bags and checking that all of his weapons and such were in properly sealed. Like everyone else, he'd brought his weapon from the internet world, hoping he could have it studied and learn more about the world from where they'd come from. His phone buzzed again, and Rossi's name and picture flashed across the front.

"Hi Dave. What's the update over there?" he asked.

"Well, we've got some good news and some bad news," said Rossi. "The good news is: the storms have finally broken up, and things are starting to get back to normal, of sorts. The bad news is that our UnSub has taken a turn for the worse in the operation, or so the doctor told me. He's not expected to survive, and even if he does, he'll likely suffer a lot of brain damage."

Hotch sighed. "Well, that's something we expected from the get-go. How long has he been in surgery at this point?"

"Well over 12 hours. They can't give me many details, but we obviously did a number on him. That, or the Shadows," said Rossi.

"If everything goes on time, we should be arriving back late tomorrow night… I guess we'll see you first thing in the morning after that," said Hotch.

"I look forward to seeing how we explain this way out of this one," said Rossi. Hotch could practically hear him grinning through the phone.

"As do I. Get some rest, Dave. We'll be back before you know it," he said.

"Same to you, Aaron," replied the man, hanging up.

After a quick power nap, Hotch followed the roadway down to the Flood Plain, to where a small gazebo waited. As he watched the sun rise through the sky, Hotch began to write his report, figuring that there was no better time than the present. Every sentence seemed to be something out of a fantasy action movie, or some sort of mystic crime thriller. Although he enjoyed poking fun at Strauss' reaction, Hotch was ruefully aware at how many skeptics they'd have to prove everything to. Thankfully, the computer world was only a click away…

"Agent Hotchner? We're here," came Naoto's voice.

He looked up and saw Garcia and Naoto standing before him. Just behind, he could see Yu and Officer Dojima headed for the gazebo. Hotch folded his own papers up and slid them back into his bag. He nodded at Garcia and Naoto, and the two walked across the grass to meet the other two men. Dojima looked politely confused, looking between his nephew and the others before him.

"Detective Dojima… I have something for you," said Hotch. "Garcia, if you would, please?"

"Here you are, sir… this file is very important," said Garcia, handing him a thick envelope of papers.

She handed the folder to Dojima, whose confusion only grew. Naoto translated into Japanese for the man as he slowly undid the seal and began to pull out the things within it. His confusion turned to wide-eyed distress as he first saw the crime scene photos of where his wife had been run down in Inaba so many years ago.

"When I heard about the tragic loss of your wife… well, as someone who knows what going through that is like, I wanted to do what I could to help," said Hotch. "I know the report is in English, but…"

As Naoto translated, Dojima began to tear through the other contents in the envelope, his eyes flying over the pages of documents from the BAU members. He spoke quickly and rapidly to his nephew and Naoto, working himself into a panic. Hotch glanced at Garcia, who returned a look of concern on his face.

"I… um, well, based on the description you gave me, I was able to get in contact with some contacts of mine," said Garcia. "I traced the numbers of every vehicle matching the description that was given, and it gave me a couple of leads. I narrowed them down, and… I found the man who killed your wife."

When Naoto explained that bit, Dojima went into absolute shock. His face grew ashen, and he dropped half the pictures and files he was holding. His mouth hung open, and there were tears in his eyes. His legs almost gave out, as his nephew hurriedly supported him. In a croaking, low voice, he looked at Naoto and Yu, and asked them something in Japanese.

"He… wants to know if you know where he is," said Naoto.

"Yes," said Hotch, bowing his head. "He is currently in California. Under normal circumstances, we would have issues extraditing him. However…"

"… I took the liberty of making a few changes to his record, and to the records of certain law enforcement officers," said Garcia. "If everything goes well, and I don't get caught, which hasn't happened yet for what it's worth, I think we can arrange to have him brought back here to stand trial."

"And even if that doesn't work… we can arrange something," said Hotch.

Dojima's face crumpled as Naoto told him what the two BAU agents had said. He buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. Yu knelt next to him, whispering to the man. A sad smile lingered on Yu's face as he patted his uncle on the shoulder. Hotch and Garcia took a few steps back, to give Dojima time to compose himself. He could see that Garcia also had tears in her eyes, and she wiped them on the edge of her robe as they waited. Finally, Dojima stood up, strode forward, and almost crushed them both in a massive hug.

"Th… thank you…" he muttered in heavily accented English. "Thank you… so… much…"

"You're welcome," said Hotch, patting him on the back. "We owe you thanks for your assistance in this case, too. I only hope this brings closure to you, Nanako, and the rest of your family."

Dojima released Hotch and Garcia, stepping backward and smiling brightly at the two. He wiped his eyes and bowed. A smile began to stretch across his face, despite the tears, and he continued to thank them, his voice cracking. Yu, too, thanked them, shaking hands with Hotch and hugging Garcia tightly. Naoto had to wipe her eyes a time or two, though she acted as if she were adjusting her hat whenever Hotch noticed her doing it.

"I… assume you will be leaving us, shortly, then?" asked Naoto.

"Yes. We need to be at the station in about an hour. I will keep you updated on the progress of the UnSub in the Dojima case," said Hotch. "Garcia, let's meet up with the others and be on our way."

"Yes, sir!" exclaimed Garcia, leading the way back to the Inn.

On the platform of the Yasoinaba station, the BAU members made their final goodbyes to the members of the Inaba Investigation Team. Nanako Dojima had shown up with her uncle and brother, and was sure to give Garcia an extra-long hug, thanking her in broken English for helping her daddy with his case. At this point, Garcia became overly emotional and stepped onto the train, while the rest of the members took care of final handshakes and hugs.

"If something were to change, or more incidents like this occur, make sure to contact us," said Yu.

"Yeah! Hopefully we won't have to worry about it, but if we do… better use all our powers together, right?" exclaimed Rise.

"Absolutely. I'll most certainly be in contact, once I've done enough research on what you've told me about Izanami. I have a lot of unanswered questions," said Reid, already balancing six books under his arms for the ride home.

"This goes for you, as well," said J.J. "If you all hear of anything out of the ordinary, contact us. We'll be keeping an eye on this in the future."

"We might need your help dealing with any escaped Shadows," said Akihiko. "So you might get a free trip to the US out of this, if nothing else."

"I've always wanted to go overseas!" exclaimed Yukiko. "Oh… but I guess that would mean that Shadows were attacking you there, so… maybe that's not such a good reason…"

The train's whistle sounded, and the BAU members stepped aboard. They waved their final goodbyes to the Inaba residents, and soon they were travelling over the countryside, through the mountains, and entering the city just as nightfall came. Once they made their way through the city streets, they entered Narita airport. It was an absolute zoo, with hundreds of stranded passengers clamoring for some of the limited seats back to the USA.

"Are you sure our seats are confirmed? Seems like there's way more people than seats," said Morgan.

"Yeah, there's got to be at least a 4:1 ratio here, even if they upped the gauge and frequency of flights for these two days," said Reid. "I hope they didn't give ours away."

"Excuse me," said Prentiss, walking up to the First Class check-in area. "Hi, we're just checking in for Flight 3892 to Seattle?"

"Oh… I am so sorry," said one of the ladies behind the ticket counter. "That flight is currently checked-in full and all seats are taken…"

"Dang. Anyone have Fionn's number? He might be able to hook us up with something, right?" asked Morgan.

"Wait, I'm sorry, did you say Fionn? As in, Fionn Calder?" asked another ticket lady.

"Yes, why?" asked Hotch.

"He spoke with us when he arrived for his flight back to Pittsburgh this evening. He has arranged you space-positive travel on our subsidiary carrier MetropoShuttle… Hotchner, Morgan, Prentiss, Reid, Garcia, Rossi, and Sanada, is that correct?"

"Rossi is not travelling with us, but the rest are correct," said Hotch. "What's our new itinerary?"

"You'll depart at 9:30 PM tonight on MetropoShuttle Flight 8503. It's an extra-sector flight being run to collect stranded passengers," explained the woman. "You'll arrive in New York City at 8:45 PM tomorrow… and your connecting flight to Washington National leaves at 10:30 PM."

"Wow. He hooked us up!" exclaimed Garcia. "MetropoShuttle is like… their elite side!"

"That's much better than having to do two long flights. Make sure you tell him we said thanks, Garcia," said J.J.

The flight was full to capacity, and the BAU members were separated, so Hotch spent most of his flight working on his official and expense reports for Strauss, or sleeping. At long last, their flight touched down in New York City, and soon they were on another full plane to Washington. Hotch finally reached his home at 2 in the morning, collapsing into another fitful night of sleep before waking up to the sounds of his phone ringing.

"Glad to see you've finally come back to us, Aaron," came Strauss' smooth voice over the phone. "I will expect full reports on my desk by 1:00 this afternoon. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," said Hotch. "Any word on our UnSub?"

"He's in critical condition in Mississippi. They've got him on life support while they wait to see if he responds to anything," explained Strauss. "It's not looking good for him."

"And has Dave returned?" asked Hotch.

"He's been back since yesterday. Which, if I remember correctly, was your deadline as well. I expect you and your team to be in to work today. That is all," she said, hanging the phone up.

Walking into the doors of the BAU was a surreal feeling, especially after witnessing Garcia's Hell in the computer world. At times, Hotch felt on edge, as if waiting for something to leap out at him. The warmth from Jupiter's presence still radiated in his chest, but Hotch knew he couldn't summon it, not in the real world. As he crossed the cubicle pit, he was pleasantly surprised to see his entire team waiting for him outside his office, including Akihiko.

"Glad you could make it. She's going to want to see us soon, though," said Morgan.

"Don't worry. I've got enough here to keep her busy long enough for us to debrief. Akihiko, if you wouldn't mind, could you run these to her office?" asked Hotch, handing the files to their newest recruit.

Akihiko's face fell. "Uh… sure, whatever you say."

"You were a boxer, right? Remember: dodge and weave," said Prentiss, patting him on the back.

"And when we say 'run' them to her office, we don't mean that literally," said J.J., smirking at him as she walked towards the conference room.

Akihiko groaned, but nodded and accepted his face. Hotch watched as their newest recruit left the BAU area to go find Strauss' office. Meanwhile, Hotch followed his team into the room, but before they could sit down, the phone buzzed to life and Garcia's voice rang across it.

"Um… guys… I need you to come downstairs ASAP," said Garcia.

"What's wrong?" asked Hotch, immediately picking up on her scared tone.

"It's… well, nothing yet but… I kinda need you to see this," said Garcia. "I can't explain it otherwise. I'm down on Range 4. Just please hurry, thanks!"

The BAU members strode quickly from the office, riding the elevator down to the floors with the gun range. The tension in the small elevator was running high, and Hotch's weary mind wondered what they could possibly have to face now. They followed the hallway to the correct room, sliding up the door. Garcia was in the middle of the firing lane. She was holding a gun to her head.

"Garcia! What are you doing?" cried Reid, as the group rushed forward.

"It's not what you think," she said. "Watch."

Before they could say anything, she pulled the trigger. A shot rang out around the room, and the shattered, blue pieces of her psyche erupted out of her mind, spiraling above her. Second later, Nike appeared, her wire-like hair flowing around her head and her palm raised forward, the monitors along her wings blinking to life. The BAU members gasped almost in unison, and Hotch felt the power in his chest grow warmer.

"You can… you can summon in the real world, too?" asked J.J.

"It… it appears so. And… what's more… I can sense Shadows in here," said Garcia. "It's really faint, and they're separated… but they are there, and I worry they may grow. I'll monitor them."

"Yeah, but having your Persona out here is insane! What happens if someone sees you?" exclaimed Prentiss. "What about the cameras?"

"I have them disabled, of course. The only other person who knows is Kevin. I kind of accidentally did it in my office earlier while he was there," said Garcia. "It's a really long story… Akihiko left his Evoker… and anyway, he's okay with it now. I've got him keeping watch."

"Do you think we can summon our Personas as well, then?" asked Rossi.

Hotch nodded. "I think so. I can feel Jupiter within me… so… maybe…"

"So it's not over, then. We can't leave those Shadows unchecked," said Morgan.

"I agree. Looks like we'll have to call our friends in Inaba sooner than we thought…" muttered Prentiss.

"Can you sense any others in the immediate vicinity, Garcia? Or even further?" asked Reid.

"Not at this time, but the Shadows definitely have the same sort of sense I felt back in the computer world. I was talking to Kevin about it, and we both kind of think that it might have something to do with the real locations the Hells are based off of. On that note, I have him running scans of all the areas we went through in those Hells, hoping to find some matches," said Garcia.

"If you're right, we're going to have to go around and exterminate those Shadows," said J.J. "Letting them go unchecked could put us all at risk."

"It'll be a while until the storm clean-up is finished, but hopefully we'll be able to use that as a cover for travelling around the country," said Rossi. "I guess we'll be heading back to Mississippi soon, then?"

"Yeah… I can't wait to have to explain that one to the Chief," said Morgan, chuckling.

The door clanged open, and Akihiko sprinted in, winded and gasping for air. He fell to his knees, trying to get a message out to the other BAU members. When he finally looked up and saw Garcia and Nike, he stopped, his mouth hanging to the floor. Morgan and J.J. helped him stand, letting him catch his breath as he walked into the shooting range where Garcia and Nike stood.

"That… that's impossible… we're not in the Dark Hour. How did you…?" asked Akihiko.

"I accidentally shot myself with your evoker and it worked and I think I broke a few computers in my office, but… other than that, I'm not sure," said Garcia. "But I figured you should know that I sense weak pockets of Shadows in the building. I don't even know if they have a material form at the moment."

"This is… I have to call Mitsuru. Can I try?" asked Akihiko.

"Yes, but what did you want to tell us?" asked Hotch.

"… Oh! It's… it's Section Chief Strauss! She's on her way down here; she was reading through your paperwork and… now she's furious," said Akihiko.

"What?!" cried the other BAU members.

"There's no reason to lie to her. She'll find out eventually," said Hotch. "Don't worry; I'll handle it."

Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed. The sound of the loudest, angriest clicking heels reached their ears. With a terrified squeak, Garcia dismissed Nike, and the Persona faded out just before the door to the firing range slammed open. Strauss stomped across the floor, her eyes locked on Hotch, and her brows furrowed in total fury.

"Good morning, Erin, how are you—," Rossi said, stepping forward to intercept her.

"Not now, Dave," spat Strauss, pushing past him.

She walked right up to Hotch, and for a brief moment, he thought she was going to hit him. After taking a few deep, angry breaths to steady herself, she held up the folder in which all of his reports were in. Hotch stared back at them, keeping his face blank and calm. Silence followed as the folder of reports shook in Strauss's hand inches from his face.

"Is there a problem, Section Chief Strauss?" he asked.

"You are _damn right_ there's a problem!" snarled Strauss. "I've just seen these reports and I… I am _beside myself_ with rage! After everything I've done for this team, all the rules I just bent… you repay me with this!? Do you think I'm a fool!?"

"I don't think you're a fool, ma'am. I am being honest with you in all of my reports, as will my team in theirs. We have witnesses we can contact," said Hotch.

"You must be out of your mind!" roared Strauss, her hair falling out of the clip holding it on top of her head. "I don't know what has gotten into you lately, Aaron, but there is nothing on this planet that would ever convince me that everything in these reports is anything but a work of pure fiction! Now, you re-do these reports with a believable answer, or I will have your badge! Is that understood?!"

"I… I know it's hard to believe, ma'am, but he is telling the truth in those reports," said Prentiss. "If you just give us some time to explain—!"

"You have had _an entire week_ to get an explanation!" thundered Strauss. "Now we have dozens of dead, an UnSub who is practically useless to us, and no explanation as to why we sent a team to Japan! There are no fewer than ten departments breathing down my _neck_ about all of this, and you're going to sit there and tell me this… this _fairy-tale_ about fighting spirits within you and a world through your computer?!"

"What if… I could prove to you that I was telling the truth?" asked Hotch, glancing down at the Evoker in his hand.

"What is that? What are you doing?" she asked, taking a step back from him. "Aaron, whose gun is that?"

Hotch ignored her rambling, looking past his boss to where his team stood. J.J. and Prentiss were smirking, biting their lips and looking at their feet. Reid gave him a shrug, cocking his head to the side, telling him that the decision was his own. Garcia's eyes were bulging with a mixture of excitement and terror. Rossi gave him a half-smile and nod. Morgan, and Akihiko didn't even try to hide their grins, both looking excited as what was going to happen next. Hotch held the Evoker up, so that Strauss could clearly see what exactly it was.

"This, Strauss, is the power of Persona," said Hotch.

He placed the gun to his head, smiled at Strauss' terrified gasp, and pulled the trigger.

_The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn't understand, the largest experiment in anarchy we have ever had._ _ – Eric Schmidt, Google CEO_

9/18/2014 12:21 AM


End file.
